Effective January 1, 2022, the California State Legislature enacted noteworthy changes to the state's laws governing transfer-on-death deeds—also called TOD deeds. A California TOD deed is a legal document that conveys real estate to a designated beneficiary when the current owner dies. TOD deeds—which have become a popular tool in California estate planning—allow property owners to transfer real estate outside of probate. The recent legislative amendment's principal objective is to mitigate … [Read more...]