On May 13, 2020, Lynda I. Chung, a litigation partner with Valensi Rose, spoke to the Trust & Estates Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association about Handling Decedent Estates and Trust Issues with Community Property or Debt Issues. A video of her talk is available online.

More than 100 attorneys and other professionals attended the online discussion.

Following a spouse's death, the surviving spouse and heirs are often left with the decedent's debts. In some estates, the surviving spouse may assert claims against his or her decedent spouse.

Lynda discussed how California community property law affects creditors' claims against the decedent's estate or trust, and the exposure of the surviving spouse and heirs to the decedent's debts.

The program also reviewed potential community property disputes which can arise between the surviving spouse and the decedent's spouse's estate and practical tips to handle such disputes.

In addition, Lynda offered practical tips from her experience in enforcing creditors' claims in both civil and probate courts over two decades.

A member of our Litigation Group, Lynda specializes in probate and business litigation matters, including will contests, trust contests, financial elder abuse, fiduciary accounting, real property and construction contract disputes, creditor's rights, fraudulent transfers, and disputes between shareholders or members of closely-held companies.