Rebecca Sommer

Rebecca Sommer is licensed with the California state bar and has been practicing law since 2015. She has numerous scholastic achievements, including ranking top 10% of her graduating law school class and earning several scholarships for extracurricular activities. Additionally, Rebecca has a Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University and participated in the tax honors program at Loyola Law School.

She combines her general finance training with specialized legal knowledge to offer practical legal solutions for managing your assets. Work with Rebecca to create legal documents which encapsulate your wishes rather than relying on state systems and rules. You can avoid probate, minimize taxes, ensure those who depend on you are cared for, and proactively empower your trusted relatives or friends to help if the unexpected happens.

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles

J.D. (2015)

2012 - 2015

Honors: Order of the Coif; St. Thomas More Law Honor Society; Robinson Family Scholar; Public Interest Scholar; 2014 National Civil Trial Competition, National Champion; 2013 ABA Labor & Employment Tournament, Regional Champion; American Board Of Trial Advocates, Award Recipient

Activities: Byrne Trial Advocacy, Team Member; Public Interest Foundation, Publicity Chair; Tax Policy Colloquium Participant; Juvenile Justice Clinic Participant

Costly Estate Planning Mistakes, Anaheim, CA

June 15, 2024

Get In the Real Estate Game, Brea Community Center

June 1, 2024

The Real Wealth Collaborative

Create Build Manage

April 28, 2024

BizTV

https://watch.biztv.com/program-group/588d310570a2e74ec60f589c5f9b9517/program/db504cd9667d5130f59a32c700a35ba2

Savvy Estate Planning 567, Orange, CA

October 25, 2022

Effective Estate Planning, Anaheim, CA

October 18, 2022

State Bar of California  # 305902

Member

Current

California

State Bar of California

ID Number: 305902

• Free Consultation
  We offer a free 15 minute, no obligation phone consultation.
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  All services are offered on a flat fee basis. Our comprehensive trust packages range from $2,450 to $5,950 depending on the complexity and the number of trusts needed. Our clients typically spend about $3,150.

Q. My mom owned a house in Los Angeles as trustee with me as successor trustee. She died in 2/24. Must I change the deed?

May 20, 2024

A: I want to clarify something in your question which impacts the answer. Your question is around being the successor trustee which is what my colleagues have addressed (no requirement to change the deed to you as the successor trustee).

HOWEVER, you also mention that you are the only heir. If you are asking if you EVER have to change the deed, that is a different question. When you administer the trust, if the trust gives you the house (or the entire estate) outright, then you are going to need to file the appropriate paperwork to put the house in your name (or better, the name of your trust).

Why? Two reasons: 1) If/when you pass away, your heir(s) will need the ability to access/inherit the property. If you haven't done the paperwork, then they have to trace it back to show who has ownership rights, etc. If they can't trace it back in the paperwork, they may have to go to court to get a court order in order to show their right to the property.

2) From a property tax standpoint, the change in ownership has already happened. It happened when your mom (the trustor) passed away. See Rev. & Tax. Code, § 61, subd. (h). "Any interests in real property that vest in persons other than the trustor (or, pursuant to Section 63, his or her spouse) when a revocable trust becomes irrevocable." and rule 462.260 (https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/rules/Rule462_260.pdf).

So if in the future either you sell the property or your heirs are trying to get the property, a change in ownership form will be filed and because the change in ownership by law happened when your mom died, the assessor's office will go all the way back to the date of your mom's death when they evaluate reassessment. Which means penalties and interest can be applied.

So what should you do? When you wrap up the trust administration and give yourself the house (or put it in your trust) submit the necessary parent-child exclusion paperwork. You mention it was your mom's residence and now it's your residence. So you should qualify from exclusion from re-assessment. (Form BOE-19-P). ... Read More

Q. Someone (not a lawyer) asks for a copy of my property Grand Deed. Can she do the fraud to transfer my property to her?

February 2, 2024

A: It is normal for part of the process of creating a trust to include drafting a deed to transfer property into the trust. Typically that includes reviewing prior recordings to see the legal description of the property. So her asking for a copy of your deed is not concerning.

That said, it is concerning that a non-lawyer is creating a trust and preparing a deed for you. Trusts are complex and should be prepared by a lawyer.

Q. Can a trust be a joint tenant with 50% interest in a property, the other 50% a natural person?

February 2, 2024

A: Without seeing all of the documents I cannot say for certain, but based on the information you have provided, unless there is some other restriction or agreement that limits Victor's right to sell his half of the property, he is allowed to sell his half without your mother in law's permission.

In general, a joint tenant has the right to dispose of their interest in a property while they are still alive by selling or transferring their interest in some way. When that is done, it usually severs the joint tenancy and converts the ownership to a tenancy-in-common.

When your mother-in-law put Victor on the deed as a joint tenant, she essentially gifted him half of the property. He would have been set to own the entire property on her death as long as it remained a joint tenancy. When she transferred her portion into a trust, it probably severed the joint tenancy so now they are tenants-in-common. That means there is no automatic transfer of the property to the surviving owner so instead of Victor being set to own the entire property at her death, she can now designate someone else to receive her share of the property (which it sounds like she has done).

Your mother-in-law should consult with a lawyer. ... Read More

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