California Code of Civil Procedure section 998 incentivizes parties in litigation to settle their disputes before trial. The statute provides that up to ten days before trial, either party may submit a written offer to the other to settle the case under specified terms. (CCP § 998(b).) If the plaintiff…
Often times, a person’s estate includes property. While property disputes between co-owners are complicated enough, a property dispute including the estate of a deceased person adds an entirely different layer of complexity to the situation. In these instances, there are special laws that apply to help to clarify the process.…
Family Code section 2021 provides that a court “may order that a person who claims an interest in the proceeding be joined as a party” to nullity, dissolution, and legal separation proceedings. (Fam.C. § 2021(a).) An interested third party may wish to join a family law proceeding, or an existing…
The Probate process can be intimidating and confusing. In addition to having to deal with the death of a loved one, adding the resolution of legal and real estate issues on top of everything else can feel like a lot. Recently, the Legislature changed the law to attempt to make…
The Corporate Transparency Act of 2020 (the “CTA”) is a Federal law set to go into effect on January 1, 2024. It forces certain members of businesses (those who formed them and those who own large portions of the entity) to report sensitive information to the Federal Government. Congress’ justification…
Underwood Law Firm is a finalist for the California Legal Awards’ Vanguard Award. Featured on Law.com Underwood Law Firm is a finalist for the California Legal Awards’ Vanguard Award, honoring firms and companies that have revolutionized their business to stay one step ahead of the current and future forces shaping…
The statutory LLC buyout is a special remedy designed for lawsuits seeking to dissolve LLCs. After members of the entity sue to dissolve the business, the other members (all of them or some of them) have the statutory ability to avoid dissolution by buying out the membership interests of these…
When business entities become subject to internal dissension, it’s not uncommon for several members to approach the court system and seek to dissolve the entity. Often, this is in the best interest of all involved. Sometimes, however, the other members, shareholders, or partners, do not want to let the business…
In almost all civil litigation in California, a major issue is the formal process of exchanging information and documents that address claims or defenses in dispute between the parties. In this system, discovery is “self-executing.” That means that no party to the lawsuit has any obligation to provide any information,…
Before undertaking litigation over real estate in California, title insurance can help to provide clarity as to important ownership questions. Title insurance is not just nice to have, in many instances, the law specifically envisions that the parties will obtain a title report of some type. For example, the Partition…