Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Practice Areas
A will is the first estate planning document most Reseda families make, and the one most often done wrong. A missing witness, a gift to the wrong person, or a will that was never updated can leave your family with a court fight instead of a plan. Alice A. Salvo, a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, drafts wills and reviews old ones from her Woodland Hills office, a short drive southwest. Call 818-676-9572.
A typed will has to be signed in front of two adult witnesses. Both witnesses must be present at the same time, understand that the document is your will, and sign in your presence and each other’s (California Statutory Will form). It doesn’t need to be notarized.
Choose witnesses who receive nothing under the will. The court’s own form says the witnesses should not receive assets under it. A gift to a witness invites a challenge that can hold up the whole estate.
California also accepts a will you write out by hand, sign, and date. That’s called a holographic will, and it doesn’t need witnesses (California Courts Self-Help). Handwritten wills tend to cause trouble later anyway. Vague wording like “my things go to the kids,” a missing date, or a second handwritten page that contradicts the first can all end up in front of a judge.
California publishes a fill-in-the-blanks will form, which the courts describe as a simple will for people with relatively small estates (California Courts Self-Help). It lets you name an executor and a guardian and leave your property, but it offers few choices. It can’t set up a special needs trust, hold money for a young adult until an age you pick, or handle a blended family’s competing wishes. Our guide to writing a will covers what a custom will can add.
This surprises many people: an estate may still need to go through probate even when there’s a will (California Courts Self-Help). The will tells the court who gets what; the court still supervises the process. Only estates worth $208,850 or less, for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, can usually skip it (Judicial Council of California).
If you own a home in Reseda, your estate is almost certainly above that line. A living trust avoids probate for the property it holds, and a short pour-over will catches anything left out. Our Van Nuys page breaks down what probate costs.
A will is where you nominate the person who would raise your children under 18 if neither parent is living. Without that nomination, a judge picks, and relatives can disagree in court. See guardianships for how the court process works.
Review your will after a marriage, divorce, birth, or death in the family, a move from another state, or a big change in what you own. A will written before your second marriage or before your youngest child was born may not say what you want now.
Alice Salvo holds an LL.M. in Estate Planning from the University of Miami and has received Martindale-Hubbell’s AV rating. Associate attorney Levon Gevorgyan works with her on estate planning and trust matters. Reseda clients can meet in Woodland Hills, by phone, or by video. The firm also serves Winnetka, Lake Balboa, Tarzana, and Canoga Park.
No. A typed will needs two adult witnesses who are present at the same time and sign in front of you and each other. Notarizing it isn’t required.
Yes. A will you write out by hand, sign, and date is valid without witnesses. Unclear wording or a missing date can still lead to a court dispute.
No. An estate can still need probate even with a will. Estates worth $208,850 or less may qualify for a simpler process, and a living trust avoids probate for the property it holds.
Bring your current will, if you have one, and a list of what you own. Call 818-676-9572 or send a message to set up a meeting.
Last updated November 13, 2026. Meet Alice A. Salvo, State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.