Wills & Trusts: Where You Begin

Class recorded May 1, 2020

Planning for the end of life, illness or disability is complicated, and it’s hard to know where to start. Preparing proper legal documentation now, while you are still able, can protect your loved ones financially and emotionally in case of death or incapacity. This class provides you with the legal basics, including the different ways of ensuring that your money and property pass to your heirs the way you want and with as little trouble and expense as possible (wills and trusts), plus the options available to make sure you receive the medical treatment you want at the end of life (advanced health care directives). You will also learn about free resources available to help. Learning important legal fundamentals about wills, trusts and advanced health care planning can make your legal journey easier and more successful.

Class covers:

  • The importance of writing a will and/or creating a trust
  • Pros and cons of trusts vs. wills, and why you might need both
  • Do-it-yourself estate planning vs. hiring a lawyer
  • What probate is, and how to help your heirs avoid it
  • Different types of trusts, and when each is appropriate
  • Advanced health care directives: how to make sure you receive the medical treatment you want during severe illness or end of life

Presented By:
Crystal Hayes Hill, Attorney, My Legal Team

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)."

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LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Probate & Inheritance: Where You Begin

Class recorded January 20, 2023

Probate is the legal process of distributing a person’s cash, property, and other assets after they die. For relatives and heirs, probate court can be complicated and intimidating, especially when disputes arise. In this class, learn the basics of probate and the administration of estates and trusts, including when probate can be avoided, how to challenge improper use or waste of estate property, and where to go for further information and assistance. Learning important legal fundamentals about probate can make your legal journey easier and more successful.

Class covers:

  • What is probate, and how it works
  • When probate is necessary, and when it can be avoided
  • Appointment of administrators, and how to challenge an appointment
  • What to do about improper use or transfer of estate property
  • When probate court can get involved in trust administration
  • Will challenges and what to do about possible financial elder abuse
  • Resources for further information and where to seek help

Presented By:
Crystal Hayes Hill, Attorney, My Legal Team

NOTE: This class does not cover estate planning or how to draft estate documents, such as wills or trusts. Please attend the “Wills & Trusts: Where You Begin” class for information on this subject.

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)

 

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Divorce and Separation: Where You Begin

Class recorded March 1, 2020

Many people can’t afford a lawyer to handle their legal issues, which can make dealing with separation and divorce especially difficult. In this class, learn the basics of how divorce and separation work under California family law, including the court process, dividing assets and debts, mediation and settlement options, and where to go for further information and assistance. Learning important legal fundamentals about family law can make your legal journey easier and more successful.

Class covers:

  • The court process: steps in a divorce case, and what to expect
  • Legal consequences of separation before (or without) divorce
  • Dividing money, property, and debts
  • Litigation, mediation and collaboration – the risks and benefits of each process
  • Resources for further information and where to seek help

Presented By:
Kathleen O’Connor
, Law Office of Kathleen M. O’Connor

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)

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LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice.  LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service.  The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons.  For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

How to Access Court Records

Class recorded on March 16, 2021

For updated information on e-filing and filing court documents in-person during COVID-19, please click here. If your case is being heard in California state superior court, please be sure to visit your court’s website for the most recent updates. L.A. Superior Court’s website is here.

Many people need to find important court records, but doing so can be complicated. Although most documents filed with a court are public record and accessible to anyone, each court makes records available in different ways, and surprisingly few are freely available online. In this class, learn how to locate and access common types of court documents from state and federal courts.

Class covers:

  • Finding civil and criminal court documents in other state superior courts
  • Accessing older state court documents through county archives
  • Using Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) to find federal court documents
  • Finding state and federal appellate court briefs

Presented By:
Austin Stoub
, Senior Librarian, LA Law Library

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below.

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice.  LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service.  The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons.  For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Housing Protections for Women and Victims of Domestic Violence

Class recorded April 24, 2020

For updated information on California’s COVID-19 eviction protections, see Housing Is Key. Although the statewide eviction moratorium expired September 30, 2021, tenants awaiting the results of a rental assistance application filed before March 31, 2022, may still qualify for eviction protections through June 30, 2022 (https://bit.ly/3JbLvCT). In addition, tenants in the City of Los Angeles may still be protected by the City’s eviction moratorium until the City declares the Covid-19 “state of emergency” over, and tenants in other parts of the County of L.A. may be protected by the County’s Updated COVID-19 Tenant Protections Resolution starting July 1, 2022. Contact our Reference desk at (213) 785-2513, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or via chat at https://bit.ly/341pHYU for further assistance.

Much of the brunt of California’s housing crisis has fallen upon women. According to the last homeless count, victims of domestic violence (majority female) and women generally are over-represented in the increase in the homeless population, and many more experience housing insecurity.

Class covers:

  • How federal and state law protects against gender-based discrimination in housing
  • Legal protections against sexual harassment by landlords or managers
  • Rights of tenants who are victims of domestic violence, and landlords’ duties toward these tenants
  • Where to report discrimination or harassment, and what to do about it

Presented by:
Mariah Lindsay, Staff Attorney, California Women’s Law Center

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below. A staff member will email you the course materials (usually within one business day)."

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice.  LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service.  The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons.  For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

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