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True or False: You Can Disinherit Someone in Your Will?

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So that is generally true.

You know, each person who owns assets and is maybe going to be leaving assets to beneficiaries after their death can disinherit a person, meaning not include them in their will. And actually, you know, specifically exclude that person.

How it works here generally in California is, you know, if you’re creating a will or a living trust and you’re designating beneficiaries, you’re generally just going to be designating the people you want to include. And you don’t necessarily need to specify who you are not including, if that makes sense.

But there are certain times where it does make sense, and it’s kind of best practice to specifically exclude or specifically disinherit someone. Most often, that is if you are a parent and you are disinheriting a child. In that case, you do always, in your will or trust, want to specifically exclude that person. And that is really just because of how the laws in California work, and out of an abundance of caution. You wouldn’t want that child to come back after you pass away and claim that you perhaps just forgot to include them. So, making that specific exclusion is important.

But the answer to that question generally is true. You really can disinherit people in your however you see fit. Thanks for watching.

Miranda Dressler
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