Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Are you referring to a trust, when you refer to a "living will" (oxymoron) which is generally referred to as a Advance Healthcare Directive of end life instructions to an agent/child as to how the person wants to be treated medically.

Assuming you are referring to a trust, assets can be transferred to designated beneficiares after the appropriate probate code notice has been given to all creditors, if any, benficiaries, and required agencies, and assuming no objections has been lodged with the trustee, that will need to be cleared.

If the inheritance is in an actual will, the will will have to be probated, and the people named in the will inherit by a deed issued by the court.