In this episode of Probate Notes, Sam sits down with Natalie Armenta, a probate and fiduciary vehicle specialist at Carstub, to break down one of probate's most overlooked challenges — what to do with a deceased person's car. From understanding AND vs. OR titles to navigating duplicate title paperwork, death certificates, and DMV fees, Natalie walks through the full process of getting a vehicle properly transferred or sold during a California probate case.

Natalie also covers practical strategies attorneys and fiduciaries need to know — like placing a vehicle on non-operational status to stop accumulating DMV fees, and how junking a car can actually wipe out fees that exceed the vehicle's value.

With nearly 25 years at Carstub, Natalie brings deep hands-on expertise to every step of the vehicle disposition process — making her an invaluable resource for any probate professional dealing with estate vehicles.

In this episode, you will hear:

• AND vs. OR vehicle titles and how each affects the sale process in probate
• Required paperwork for transferring or duplicating a vehicle title in California
• How death certificates factor into probate vehicle sales
• Placing a vehicle on non-operational (non-op) status to avoid accumulating DMV fees
• When junking a car is the smartest option and how it eliminates outstanding DMV fees
• How Carstub handles the full vehicle disposition process, from towing to paperwork
• Tips for out-of-state or remote sellers dealing with probate vehicles in California

Resources from this Episode

The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw

https://carstub.com/fiduciary/

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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.

In this episode, Sam sits down with James Leestma — attorney, estate litigator, and owner of Advance Inheritance LLC — to break down everything you need to know about probate cash advances. Whether you're dealing with a looming foreclosure, an heir who can't afford to relocate, or a beneficiary who needs legal representation, a probate cash advance might be the solution you didn't know existed. James explains how these non-recourse assignments work, how they differ from traditional loans, and how they can be structured to benefit the estate as a whole.

James brings a combination of legal expertise and investment experience, having reviewed thousands of probate estates through his work at Advance Inheritance LLC. He covers lien priority, underwriting considerations, early repayment discounts, and real-world use cases practitioners encounter every day.

If you've ever been out of options in a probate matter, this episode is your next move.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What probate cash advances are and how they differ from traditional loans
• How non-recourse assignments work and what heirs can and can't assign
• Common use cases including foreclosure prevention, relocation costs, and legal retainers
• Lien priority rules when an heir takes multiple assignments from multiple companies
• How attorneys can use cash advances as a fast alternative to ex parte injunctions
• Early repayment discounts and how assignments get satisfied at final distribution

Resources from this Episode

https://advanceinheritance.com/

https://www.jamesleestmaprobate.com/

The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw

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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.

What happens when a hit song, a music catalog, or even a celebrity's name and likeness becomes part of a probate estate? In this episode, Sam welcomes Iver Scott of Scott Valuation, LLC, a specialist in intellectual property valuation, to break down how IP assets are valued in an estate context — from discounted cash flow analysis to the rare cases where comparable sales can apply.

Iver shares what goes into valuing music catalogs, how reversion and recapture rights affect value, and the critical distinction between valuing an asset immediately before versus after an artist's death — a nuance that played out in a landmark tax court case involving the Michael Jackson estate.

Iver's insights are essential listening for any probate professional who may encounter IP assets in an estate.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How intellectual property valuation sits at the intersection of art and science
• Discounted cash flow analysis explained — and why future cash flows are worth less than cash in hand today
• When comparable sales methodology works for music catalogs (and when it doesn't)
• The role of genre, commercial trajectory, and an artist's "S curve" in valuing a song
• Reversion and recapture rights and how they impact the value of music copyrights
• Inside the Michael Jackson estate valuation — name, image, and likeness under the microscope
• Why the timing of a valuation (immediately before vs. after an artist's death) can mean a difference of tens of millions of dollars in estate tax

Resources from this Episode

The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw

iver.scott@scottvaluation.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iver-scott-1731a937/

https://www.scottvaluation.com/

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.

Ever wonder how professional fiduciaries play detective to track down heirs and uncover hidden assets? In this episode, Sam sits down with M. Jason Ross, a licensed professional fiduciary with Kaalund Professional Fiduciary and Trustee Services, to break down the investigative side of probate administration. From using tools like Spokeo to cross-search social media platforms, to pulling six months of pre-death bank statements, Jason shares the real-world strategies that surface assets most people never think to look for.

Jason also covers unclaimed property searches, including one case where a simple search turned up nearly $70,000, and how insurance policy locators can identify policies even when beneficiaries don't know which company holds them.

If probate asset searches have ever left you feeling lost, this episode is your roadmap.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How professional fiduciaries use tools like Spokeo to locate missing heirs across social media platforms
• Why online directories and public records searches work best with more than just a name
• Pulling six months of pre-death bank statements to uncover unknown accounts and financial activity
• Using payment apps like Venmo as a trail to identify family members and financial relationships
• How unclaimed property searches can yield surprising results — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars
• The insurance policy locator as a tool for finding life insurance and annuities beneficiaries didn't know existed

Resources from this Episode

https://www.kaalundfiduciary.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.

Will contests can turn an already emotional probate matter into full-blown litigation. In this episode, Sam sits down with Kevin Snyder of Snyder Law PC to unpack what really happens when someone challenges a will in California. They talk about why seemingly "equal" distributions still spark disputes, how dueling wills arise, and what attorneys need to know about procedural traps, notice requirements, and strict 120-day deadlines.

Kevin walks through the burden of proof, common mistakes lawyers make, and why will contests demand technical precision from day one. If you've ever wondered who has to prove what, when a will can be attacked, or how to protect yourself from malpractice exposure in these cases, this conversation is for you.

Keep your filings clean and your strategy sharper than the objections.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why "equal" distributions still lead to will contests
• Common grounds for challenging a will in California
• Dueling wills and what happens when multiple versions surface
• Holographic wills and execution requirements
• Strict procedural rules and 120-day contest deadlines
• Burden of proof in probate litigation

Resources from this Episode

Website: https://www.snyderlawpc.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attorneykevinsnyder/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SnyderLawPC/

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.

High conflict cases can drain your time, your energy, and your confidence. In this episode, Sam sits down with Megan Hunter of the High Conflict Institute to break down what's really happening when personalities derail probate matters. They talk about high conflict personality types, why logic alone doesn't work, and how understanding someone's "operating system" can completely change your strategy.

Megan shares practical tools you can use immediately, including E.A.R. statements (Empathy, Attention, Respect), the BIFF response method for hostile emails, and how to set firm limits without escalating the situation. If you've ever received a nasty-gram or felt like you're working harder than your own client, this episode is for you.

High conflict behavior is predictable and manageable when you have the right framework.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What drives high conflict personalities in legal cases
• The five high conflict personality types and their core fears
• Why logic alone fails with high conflict clients
• Using E.A.R. statements to deescalate emotional reactions
• The BIFF method for responding to hostile emails
• Setting firm limits without escalating conflict
• Avoiding self-doubt and overworking difficult cases

Resources from this Episode

https://www.highconflictinstitute.com/podcasts/

https://www.conflictinfluencer.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.

In this episode of Probate Notes, Sam is joined by Margie Miller, publisher of City News Group, to pull back the curtain on adjudicated newspapers and why they matter so much in probate cases. They dig into what "general circulation" actually means, how newspapers become court-approved for legal notices, and the role proper publication plays in due process, from petitions for probate to notices of sale and service by publication.

Margie brings nearly two decades of experience as a newspaper publisher and explains how legal notices work in the real world, common mistakes attorneys and self-represented parties make, and how modern tools like online submission and proofing have streamlined what used to be a very manual process.

If you handle probate filings in California, this is a practical, behind-the-scenes conversation you'll want to hear.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What makes a newspaper legally adjudicated for probate notices
• General circulation explained and why it matters for due process
• Probate publication deadlines and how weekly schedules affect hearings
• Common mistakes that force costly republication
• How online submission and proofing reduce publication errors
• Best practices for attorneys handling probate and court-ordered notices

Resources from this Episode

https://www.citynewsgroup.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.

Understanding real estate disclosures in probate sales can be deceptively complex, especially when exempt sellers are involved. In this episode of Probate Notes, host Sam Price sits down with Teresa Gorman to break down what fiduciaries, trustees, and personal representatives need to know when selling California probate property. Together, they unpack who qualifies as an exempt seller, what properties are covered, and which disclosures still matter despite statutory exemptions.

Teresa brings a rare dual perspective as a former trust and estate attorney and current broker with Fiduciary Real Estate Services, sharing practical guidance on avoiding disclosure mistakes that can lead to post-sale liability. From deaths on property to common law disclosure duties, this conversation focuses on real-world risk, not theory.

This episode is a must-listen for probate professionals navigating real estate sales with confidence and care.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Who qualifies as an exempt seller under California probate law
• Which probate and trust properties are exempt from standard real estate disclosures
• What exempt sellers must still disclose despite statutory exemptions
• Common mistakes fiduciaries make when completing exempt seller disclosures
• How deaths on a property should be handled and disclosed
• Disclosure risks created by repairs, renovations, and "light" fix-ups
• Why failing to disclose material facts can lead to post-sale liability

Resources from this Episode

https://www.fiduciaryrealestateservices.com/teresa-gorman

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.