Appellate Justices

Justice Robie addressed attorneys and guests of the Nevada County Bar Association and Lawyer Referral Service .

The Justice discussed how State Court budget cuts have reduced funds for translators, creating language barriers for judges.  A lack of funds for  court reporters means that appeals cannot be adequately prepared. Another critical unmet need is the lack of attorney representation to enforce basic civil rights such as child custody and housing.

The California Commission on Access to Justice, chaired by Justice Robie, involves lawyers and judges, as well as academic, business, labor and  community leaders, to improve access to civil justice for Californians living on low and moderate incomes. The Commission was instrumental in establishing the $10 million Equal Access Fund for civil legal services to the indigent and works closely with the Judicial Council to improve access to the courts.

Justice Ronald B. Robie with Jennifer Wilkerson, Attorney at Law

Members of the Nevada County Bar Association and Northern California Lawyer Referral Service support these efforts locally and were honored to host six of our Appellate Justices in our community.

The Union Article

New legislation effective January 1st 2012 increased the amount of assets that may be collected by a summary proceeding from $100,000 to $150,000. The maximum value of real property that can be transferred by affidavit was raised from $20,000 to $50,000.

This new law will keep more estates out of the California probate court, avoiding expenses and delays after death.

Even if you have created a Revocable Trust, assets not properly transferred to your Trust may be subject to probate. Under the new law, assets outside of the Trust totaling up to $150,000 may now avoid the burdens of probate.

For more information, please contact our office at 530-272-4292 or via our updated website at www.jwilkerson.net.