San Mateo, CA estates & probate lawyer Jeffrey Loew talks about the kinds of probate cases that he handles. He indicates that recently, many cases have involved individuals who pass away either without a will or with a will that is ambiguously written or lacking the required legal formalities. In such situations, the court must determine the beneficiaries of the estate by relying on the probate code. For instance, a child who is excluded from a will may claim that the omission was accidental. In certain cases, the court may reinstate that child as a beneficiary. In other cases, the will itself may be invalid due to not meeting California’s formal requirements for a will or trust. These issues arise frequently, as wills—being far less formal than trusts—are more susceptible to defects that leave them open to challenge.