When a business owner dies, the employment liabilities don't die with them. In this episode of Probate Notes, Sam Price sits down with Karen J. Sloat, founder of SLO Law Group, to break down what probate attorneys need to know about California labor law: wage and hour claims, caregiver misclassification, independent contractor traps, and the penalties that can quietly gut an estate before distribution even begins.

Karen brings 40 years of legal experience and runs one of the desert's go-to employment law firms. She works primarily on the employer side, which means she knows exactly where families and personal representatives get exposed, and how to get ahead of it before a single lawsuit gets filed.

One caregiver. A few years of unpaid overtime. Tens of thousands in liability. This episode is the wake-up call every probate practitioner needs.

In this episode, you will hear:

• When a business owner dies, employee wage claims survive — and can reach back three to four years
• Wage and hour violations, discrimination claims, and unpaid taxes all become estate liabilities
• The difference between a personal attendant and a domestic worker, and why it matters for overtime
• Why paying a caregiver $250 a day can translate to hundreds of thousands in back pay and penalties
• Independent contractor misclassification in California and the 13-criteria test most families fail
• Licensed caregiving agencies shift employer liability away from the family entirely
• How probate attorneys can use the notice to creditors process to shorten the window for employee claims

Resources from this Episode

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sloatlawgroup/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sloatlawgroup/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SloatLawGroup

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SloatLawGroupAPC

The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw

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Sam Price sits down with Stephen Walter, CEO of Hello Sunset, to tackle one of probate's most frustrating problems: finding a decedent's assets and debts when the family has no idea where to start. No bank statements. No policy numbers. No phone access. Just a death certificate and a lot of unanswered questions. Hello Sunset changes that — running deep searches across bank accounts, retirement funds, life insurance, brokerage accounts, real estate, unclaimed property, and credit files, then delivering a full financial picture of the estate.

Stephen brings a background in corporate law and tech entrepreneurship to a problem that's only getting harder as financial lives grow more scattered. The platform is free to use, pulls data directly from all three credit bureaus and the IRS, and can return results in as little as one to two days.

If your clients are walking into their first consultation empty-handed, this episode is required listening.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why families can't find a decedent's assets — and why it's only getting harder
• How Hello Sunset searches bank accounts, retirement funds, life insurance, real estate, and credit files in a single automated process
• Why brokerages are the hardest financial institutions to get information from after a death
• The real estate fraud risk that spikes the moment an obituary goes public
• How the platform pulls IRS filings going back 10 years to surface accounts executors would never think to look for
• Why Hello Sunset is free to use — and how the business model actually works
• What executors and attorneys should do before the first consultation to walk in with a full asset map

Resources from this Episode

The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw

https://www.hellosunset.com/attorneys

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

In this episode of Probate Notes, Sam sits down with Bruno Bianchi, a veteran fitness coach and personal trainer with over 25 years of experience, to explore how busy legal professionals can take better care of their bodies — and why it matters more than they might think. Bruno breaks down the four key pillars of sustainable health: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and social connection, making the case that physical wellbeing is directly tied to mental clarity, focus, and professional performance.

Bruno shares practical, realistic strategies tailored for high-stress careers — from short, effective strength training sessions to smarter sleep habits and the often-overlooked power of genuine social time. His message is clear: consistency beats perfection, and small, sustainable habits compound into lasting results.

For any attorney who's ever skipped a workout, grabbed fast food between hearings, or stared at the ceiling at midnight — this one's for you.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why physical health directly impacts mental clarity, focus, and professional performance
• The four pillars of sustainable wellness — exercise, nutrition, sleep, and social connection
• How to build an effective strength and cardio routine in as little as 30 minutes, two to three times a week
• Simple, realistic nutrition strategies for busy professionals on the go
• The critical role of quality sleep and how to build a wind-down routine that actually works
• Why social connection and time in nature are essential — not optional — components of overall health
• Training smart over training hard, and why consistency always beats perfection

Resources from this Episode

www.performance-pro1.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performance_pro74

The 6-Stage Probate Process: How to Navigate California Probate: https://a.co/d/82310Rw

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.