Probate Notes: Your Guide to Navigating California Probate Law

Welcome to Probate Notes, your go-to podcast for navigating the complexities of California probate law. Hosted by R. Sam Price, a seasoned probate attorney, Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and author of The 6-Stage Probate Process, this podcast breaks down probate practice with expert insights, practical strategies, and real-world solutions for attorneys, paralegals, fiduciaries, and professionals in the probate industry.Each episode dives into key topics, from foundational probate concepts to advanced litigation strategies, helping you master the nuances of probate practice. Whether it's fixing court examiner deficiencies, tackling probate litigation, or staying ahead of legislative updates, you'll get actionable guidance to streamline your cases and elevate your expertise.Expect guest interviews with top probate attorneys, fiduciaries, and legal experts, as well as a dedicated segment answ

Probate Notes: Your Guide to Navigating California Probate Law is a education podcast hosted by R. Sam Price, with 59 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

R. Sam Price hosts Probate Notes: Your Guide to Navigating California Probate Law, a education show with 59 episodes published.

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  Episode #59

  059: Probate Attorney and REALTOR® Strategies for Grief, Conflict, and Fair Buyouts With Scott Stollar

  Sep 29, 202641 min

  Grief, sibling tension, and a house full of memories collide when a parent dies, and that is where we start. We talk with REALTOR® Scott Stoller, founder of SellItScott and a C.A.R. Certified Probate and Trust Specialist, about what really happens when heirs inherit a home in California probate. We explore the five stages of grief and how timeline, money pressure, and different views on value can quickly fuel conflict. We share how professionals can approach the process with curiosity, not a rigid playbook, to help heirs feel heard while still protecting the property's equity. We also cover options for a child who wants to keep the home, including financing, debt-to-income realities, FHA possibilities, reverse mortgages, and Prop 19 tax implications. Listeners learn how to guide clients through emotionally charged decisions with clarity, compassion, and grounded expectations. In this episode, you will hear: How grief, memories, and family history show up when heirs inherit a home Common conflict patterns between siblings over timelines, money, and selling vs keeping the house The five stages of grief and how they affect decision-making around the estate Professional strategies to keep heirs heard, informed, and focused on clear options Disputes over property value and how condition, market rates, and buyer demand factor in Financing paths for an heir who wants to keep the home, including DTI and FHA options Special issues with reverse mortgages and Prop 19 for long-term affordability Resources from this Episode Inherited Home Resources (all of my free guides and tools in one place): https://sellitscott.com/inherited-home-resources/ Successor Trustee Checklist: https://sellitscott.com/successor-trustee-checklist/ Website: https://sellitscott.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sellitscott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-stollar-720602210 The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com . Let them know we sent you.

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  Episode #58

  058: How Law Firms Can Use Full-Time Virtual Assistants to Handle Intake, Drafting, and Litigation Support with Matthew Crider

  Sep 22, 202639 min

  Hiring help does not have to blow up your margins or your sanity. We hear how estate planning attorney Matthew Crider turned early frustrations with outsourced reception and bookkeeping into a deliberate system for working with virtual assistants, and eventually into co-founding Traba Legal. He and Sam walk through the real cost pressures of hiring in California, the challenges of finding qualified local staff, and why overseas VAs can be a strong fit for law firms when handled thoughtfully. Listeners learn how to think through the right first role for a VA, how to integrate remote team members into firm culture, and how a clear hiring and management structure can free lawyers to focus on higher‑value legal work. In this episode, you will hear: Cost pressures and hiring challenges for small California law firms Moving from agencies and platforms to directly managed virtual assistants Why Traba Legal focuses on full-time VAs based in the Philippines Traba Legal's five-step vetting and skills testing process for candidates Building culture and accountability with remote team members through daily huddles and meetings Resources from this Episode https://trabalegal.com https://legacylawsolutions.net/matthew-crider The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com . Let them know we sent you.

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  Episode #57

  057: Understanding the Uniform Prudent Investor Act with Jeremy Lau

  Sep 15, 202642 min

  Sam Price sits down with Jeremy Lau of Prudent Investors to unpack what happens the moment a successor trustee inherits an investment portfolio. Most fiduciaries know they have a job to do. Few understand the Uniform Prudent Investor Act actually governs how they do it, from diversification to tax sensitivity to monitoring costs that never show up on a brokerage statement. Jeremy walks through the hidden expense ratios buried inside mutual funds, why a trading program with hundreds of tiny positions can quietly balloon trust accounting fees into the tens of thousands, and what separates a financial advisor who protects a fiduciary from one who leaves them exposed. He also breaks down risk tolerance as two distinct factors, not one, and explains why an investment policy statement matters more than most successor trustees realize. This episode hands fiduciaries a checklist they didn't know they needed. In this episode, you will hear: What a successor trustee actually inherits when a settlor passes away The Uniform Prudent Investor Act and why it applies to fiduciaries, not financial advisors Risk tolerance as two separate factors, ability and willingness, not one Hidden costs inside mutual funds and ETFs that never appear on a brokerage statement How a trading program with hundreds of tiny positions can balloon trust accounting fees Why an investment policy statement protects a fiduciary who delegates investment decisions What to look for when choosing a financial advisor to manage trust assets Resources from this Episode https://www.prudentinvestors.com The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com . Let them know we sent you.

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  Episode #56

  056: Isolation, Undue Influence, and Elder Financial Abuse with Tim Abrahams

  Sep 9, 202642 min

  Tim Abrahams, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigator who now runs Silver Bison Consulting, joins Sam Price to unpack how elder financial abuse actually unfolds. Tim spent years chasing fraud and title theft cases, and he explains why so many families get turned away at the police counter with the words "this is a civil matter." That single phrase, he says, has let countless cases die before they ever reach a detective's desk. Tim walks through the real patterns behind these crimes: isolation, sudden spending spikes, forged deeds, stolen notary stamps. He shares specific case details, including a stolen vacant lot sold through a fake ID, and explains how his reports help families get law enforcement to actually listen. Families dealing with suspected elder abuse will find a clear roadmap here, straight from someone who investigated these cases for thirty years. In this episode, you will hear: Tim Abrahams' path from LA County Sheriff's investigator to founding Silver Bison Consulting Why "this is a civil matter" sends so many elder abuse cases nowhere The common thread in these cases isolation from family and friends How caretakers escalate from small withdrawals to full financial control Red flags in bank records, deed transfers, and sudden spending changes A real case involving a stolen notary stamp and a fraudulent property sale How Tim builds reports that give families a real shot with law enforcement Resources from this Episode The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw silverbison.net linkedin.com/in/timothy-abrahams-666309288/ Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com . Let them know we sent you.

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  Episode #55

  055: What Really Happens to Retirement Accounts in Probate with Ryan Holloway

  Aug 11, 202647 min

  Probate planning gets much more complicated once retirement accounts and real families enter the picture. Financial advisor Ryan Holloway, AWMA® explains how beneficiary designations control where the accounts go, what happens when a spouse rolls funds into her own IRA, and how required minimum distributions and age rules (59½ and 73) affect withdrawals and penalties. Ryan breaks down traditional vs. Roth accounts, why the IRS only cares when money goes in or comes out, and how tax-deferred growth can significantly extend wealth. We also cover the 10-year payout rule for non-spouse beneficiaries, key exceptions, and how poor planning can push children into higher tax brackets. Listeners come away with a clearer picture of how retirement accounts, step-up in basis, and trust planning all fit together in real probate work. In this episode, you will hear: How retirement accounts pass from a deceased spouse to a surviving spouse Rolling employer plans into an IRA and what that changes for control and taxes Traditional vs. Roth retirement accounts and how contributions and withdrawals are taxed Required minimum distributions, age rules, and early withdrawal penalties How capital gains work inside retirement accounts vs. taxable accounts Non-spouse beneficiaries, the 10-year rule, and key exceptions for minors and disabled heirs Using trusts, step-up in basis, and planning for real estate and cash accounts as part of an overall inheritance plan Resources from this Episode https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financial-advisor/ryan-holloway The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com . Let them know we sent you.

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