Beginning January 1, 2016, California will allow Transfer on Death Deeds which grant the ability to transfer real property at death without having to go through probate. Assembly Bill 139 requires that a revocable TOD deed be signed, dated, acknowledged, and recorded in order to be effective. The legislature stated that the reason behind the change is the high cost of using an attorney to prepare an estate plan and the prohibitive cost of probate. Transfer on Death Deed join Payable on Death forms which, between the two, allow Californians to easily transfer real property and most types of personal property without having to use the court system.
See Mark Kellem, Gov. Brown signs bill to make home transfers easier after death, Glendale News-Press, September 21, 2015.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
