LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Written by Erin A. Norcia, Esq.^*

It has been such an honor to serve as Editor-in-Chief of the Quarterly. I am immensely grateful to the members of the Quarterly subcommittee, namely Nick Van Brunt, Ryan Szczepanik, Matthew Owens, Lisa Roper, Gretchen Shaffer, Katy Fluet, Kristin Yokomoto, Kevin Bryce Jackson, Daniel Kim, and Laura Zeigler. They have spent countless volunteer hours reviewing, editing, and working with the authors to ensure each and every article is the best product possible for you as the readers. They consistently go above and beyond to achieve the collective goal of providing the quality, technical content you deserve.

In this issue, Lisa Roper and Kristen Caverly review the current California probate statutes and anticipated potential changes, including AB 2016. This article is the first in a two-part series which considers whether California probate administration procedures are due for change and how the administration process could be modernized while preserving the needed protections.

Andrew Katzenstein and Caroline Robbins explain how clients often establish a number of trusts for estate planning advantages, which the beneficiaries realize following the settlors’ passing may be costly and complex to administer. This article discusses various methods to combine multiple trusts and streamline the administration. The authors also consider instances in which consolidation may not be advisable from tax or other perspectives.