Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Suicide note

My grandson's father committed suicide. He left a note instructing that his assets be split between my grandson & his half brother. My question is, does this constitute a last will & testament or did he die intestate & therefore the state will probate the will? I don't think the size of the estate is very large at all & am just trying to anticipate what these boys have to look forward to. My grandson is 13 & the half brother is 19. If I had to estimate the size of the estate, I would say 25,000 or less.


Asked on 6/23/09, 3:54 pm

3 Answers from Attorneys

Jerold M. Gorski Law Offices of Jerold M. Gorski

Re: Suicide note

A will written out entirely in the hand of the testator is called a holographic will. Such wills are sometimes deemed valid even without the attestation of witnesses. Your grandson's legal guardian should call a few attorneys and discuss all the relevant facts to get better direction.

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Answered on 6/23/09, 4:30 pm
Scott Linden Scott H. Linden, Esq.

Re: Suicide note

I am so sorry to hear of your gradson's situation, I hope he is coping with it well.

In regrads to your question, if the letter was written in his handwriting and was signed by him, then it can be considered a last will. Luckily, if the total estate is valued at under $100,000 then there is no need for a Probate, just a few forms for small estates. Therefore, even if the writing is not considered a last will, there should still not be a Probate necessary.

If you would like to discuss this matter further in a more private forum, please feel free to contact me directly at the email address provided by LawGuru or through our firm�s website located at PasadenaEstatePlanning.com

IMPORTANT:

No attorney-client nor confidential relationship is created through this communication. You may not rely in any way on this communication, and nothing herein constitutes legal advice nor legal opinion. Your issue may be time-sensitive and may result in a loss of rights if you do not obtain an attorney immediately.

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Answered on 6/23/09, 5:29 pm
OCEAN BEACH ASSOCIATES OCEAN BEACH ASSOCIATES

Re: Suicide note

Intestate. Title may be obtained via declaration and a trust must be established for the minor child. Contact me directly.

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Answered on 6/23/09, 5:36 pm


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