Firm News

When A California Will or Trust Doesn’t Mention The Spouse of the Deceased: Status of an Omitted Spouse

closeup of the hand of an omitted spouse on her deceased husband's grave.

What is An Omitted Spouse? When a spouse dies, the will or trust most commonly provides that their surviving spouse will receive all or most of their property and assets. The presumption that a surviving spouse should receive something is so strong that California law protects the surviving spouse even if they aren’t mentioned in the will or trust. Under California law, such a spouse is considered to be an “omitted spouse.” […]

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When Siblings Act as Co-Trustees: Potential Pitfalls in Estate Planning

siblings in their parents living room who are arguing over their deceased parents' will.

We’ve all heard horror stories about families that fall apart after the death of a parent. Siblings stop talking with each other or even end up suing each other. A son or a daughter cuts a parent out of his or her life. Obviously, the reasons for such breakups vary. But in my experience, the primary reason is that the death of a parent almost always raises difficult and emotional […]

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Kevin J. Moore Named on So Cal’s 2023 Super Lawyers List

Kevin J. Moore Super Lawyer Announcement

We are excited to announce that Kevin J. Moore has been named one of Southern California’s 2023 Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters for the second year in a row! With over 30 years of experience in estate planning and estate tax planning for high net-worth inviduals and business owners, Kevin J. Moore has truly earned this honor. 

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New Changes to Canadian Succession Law

couple sign will and estate documents

This past year, Ontario, Canada drastically changed its succession laws in relation to how separations and marriages affect the validity of wills and the rights of surviving spouses. Now, under the laws of Ontario, separated spouses will not inherit under their former partner’s will or from a former partner’s intestate estate provided the couple was separated on or after January 1, 2022. Furthermore, marriages on or after January 1, 2022 […]

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What is Undue Influence?

Older man signing a will in his attorney's office

When someone passes away, we have a sense of whom we expect to inherit the bulk of their property and other assets. When those expectations do not come to pass, the law sometimes intervenes and overturns the expressed desire of the person who passed away, as reflected in their will, codicil, trust, and related documents. The idea that specific provisions of a will or trust should not be carried out […]

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Pasadena Outlook features KJMLAW Partners

Photo of KJMLAW Partners in Pasadena Outlook

KJMLAW Partners was featured in Pasadena Outlook’s latest edition. The firm recently celebrated their 30 year anniversary and the local paper highlighted the celebration. The anniversary party launched a rebrand and company name change. Previously Kevin J. Moore & Associates now KJMLAW Partners, is ready for the next 30 years with new attorneys and a new additional Shareholder, Debby Doitch.

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Kevin J. Moore Conducting Zoom Webinar on CA’s Prop 19

CA's Prop 19

California’s recently passed Prop 19, is increasing residential property taxes. Please register for Kevin J. Moore’s Zoom webinar here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nHIl8caRQHCAFZx0pb9PfQ to learn more about this and what you can do to properly prepare. The Zoom webinar will be conducted on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 from 2:00pm-3:00pm PST.

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Revoking a CA Trust – Legally Straightforward, Emotionally Complicated

Posted in Probate Litigation
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revoking a trust

Most trusts are revocable, and it is not uncommon for those who establish a trust (known as settlors) to revoke that trust and replace it with another, naming different beneficiaries. That is what happened in a case that became the subject of an appellate court opinion published in July 2020. The facts of Cundall v. Mitchell-Clyde start off unremarkably. John Martin lives in West Hollywood, where he owns real estate. In […]

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Kevin Moore Takes Teaching Role at Glendale University College of Law

Kevin J. Moore, LL.M.

Kevin Moore has recently taken a professor role as Adjunct Assistant Professor for 2020 & 2021 at Glendale University College of Law. Every Tuesday Kevin teaches Trust Estates 1 and Trust Estates 2. Kevin has always had a love for teaching and is very excited about this opportunity. Thanks to Clare Ceplecha, who Kevin is succeeding, he now has the opportunity to do something he has longed for. Historically these […]

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