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Q: How can my mom manage a $30,000 gift and maintain SSI benefits in CA?
What options does my mom have for managing a $30,000 gift without affecting her SSI benefits? She currently only owns a car, has no debt, and doesn't have anything to buy with this new gift, having already spent down a previous gift last month.
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Christopher R. Milton
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answered on Aug 26, 2026
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answered on Aug 26, 2026
The core problem is timing: SSI only allows $2,000 in countable resources for an individual, and any of this $30,000 left unspent as of the first moment of next month becomes a countable resource that would make her ineligible. Since she's already been through this once last month with a... View More 
Q: How can my wife resolve a dispute over an alleged debt from a forgiven loan?
In January 2020, my wife Kelli received a $5,000 personal loan from her father, with an initial payment made in February. In March 2020, her father verbally forgave the debt due to the pandemic. In June 2024, after her father's passing in April, her sister Dara, the executor, informed Kelli of... View More
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Christopher R. Milton
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answered on Aug 6, 2026
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answered on Aug 6, 2026
This fact pattern raises several separate issues — the validity of the note itself, whether the earlier forgiveness matters, and how a probate estate can even try to collect a debt from an heir. I'll walk through each.
Start with the note itself. Kelli says she never saw or signed a... View More
Q: How to fill out a disclaimer of interest form with no will in California?
I am looking for guidance on how to fill out a disclaimer of interest form in California for an estate where there is no will and 17 heirs are involved through intestate succession. There are currently no probate proceedings underway. The heirs include five siblings and nieces and nephews of... View More
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Christopher R. Milton
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answered on Aug 6, 2026
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answered on Aug 6, 2026
This is a great question, and one where the mechanics are less complicated than the consequences — so I'd focus more on the "should I" than the "how."
The basic requirements. California's disclaimer statute (Probate Code §§260–295) doesn't require a... View More
Q: Should I give the mobile home park manager a death certificate after my father's passing?
My father recently passed away in Canoga Park, California. He lived in a mobile home park, where he owned a mobile home. The title has a co-owner, who was informed of his passing but has not been involved in handling any arrangements. I personally took care of his cremation and funeral service.... View More
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Christopher R. Milton
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answered on Aug 5, 2026
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answered on Aug 5, 2026
I'm sorry for the loss of your father, and it sounds like you handled a lot on your own with the cremation and arrangements — that's not easy.
On the specific question: yes, providing the mobile home park manager a copy of the death certificate is standard practice, and... View More
Q: Can Marvin Laws help me keep my house after a 30-year relationship?
I have been in a relationship in California for 30 years, during which my partner has been the sole breadwinner. We have relocated multiple times for his career advancements, buying and selling homes in different states. Recently, I discovered he is involved with his married boss. We have a trust... View More
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Christopher R. Milton
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answered on Aug 26, 2026
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answered on Aug 26, 2026
Marvin actions could genuinely help you here, but it's worth understanding what they actually give you before you count on any specific outcome, because it's a different (and generally weaker) legal footing than what a divorcing spouse gets.
Marvin v. Marvin (1976) 18 Cal.3d 660... View More
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