Practice Areas

  • Creating an estate plan is about more than documents—it’s about peace of mind, clarity, and protecting your family. I help clients with:

    • Revocable Living Trusts – Avoid probate, manage assets, and provide flexibility for the future

    • Last Will and Testament – Name guardians for children, distribute assets, and clarify your wishes

    • Powers of Attorney – Appoint trusted agents to handle financial and legal decisions if you become incapacitated

    • Advance Health Care Directives – Ensure your medical wishes are honored

    • Dementia Directives – Plan for changes in memory or capacity

    • Trust Transfer Grant Deeds – Properly title real estate into your trust

    • Trust Funding – Review and organize assets to align with your estate plan

  • If you are a successor trustee, I guide you through every step of trust administration, including:

    • Marshalling Assets – Collecting and organizing trust property

    • Accountings – Preparing and reviewing financial records

    • Satisfying Notice Requirements – Ensuring all legal notices are provided to beneficiaries

    • Selling Real Property – Guiding the sale of trust-owned homes or land

    • Liquidating LLCs or Other Business Entities – Managing and distributing business interests held in the trust

  • I regularly handle all aspects of California probate, helping families navigate the court process efficiently and compassionately. Services include:

    • Petitions for Probate – Filing the necessary documents to start the probate process

    • Spousal Property Petitions – Handling transfers of property to surviving spouses

    • Small Estate Affidavits for Real Property – Simplified probate for smaller estates

    • Heirship Petitions – Determining legal heirs when needed

    • Petitions for Modification or Clarification – Addressing changes or ambiguities in probate cases

    • Heggstad Petitions (Probate Code § 850) – Helping beneficiaries transfer assets without opening a full probate

Why work with me…

Relationship-Focused Approach

I view myself as part of your team, building long-term connections with clients.

Clear & Thorough Guidance

Every plan is detailed, carefully reviewed, & personalized to your family.

Peace of Mind for Aging and Incapacity

Helping you prepare now so you & your loved ones feel secure later.

FAQs

Understanding these key concepts helps you make informed decisions for yourself and your family. An estate plan is not just paperwork—it’s a tool for peace of mind, protection, and clarity.

  • An estate plan is a set of legal documents and strategies that outline how your assets, healthcare, and personal decisions will be handled if you become incapacitated or pass away. It ensures your wishes are followed and can help your family avoid unnecessary stress or legal complications.

  • A revocable living trust can help avoid probate, maintain privacy, and provide guidance for managing your assets if you become incapacitated. While a will is important, many families benefit from having a trust to simplify the transfer of assets and reduce court involvement.

  • Trust administration occurs after a person passes away. The successor trustee collects and manages trust assets, provides accountings, notifies beneficiaries, pays debts, and distributes assets according to the trust. Proper administration ensures the trust operates smoothly and legally.

  • Probate is the court-supervised process of settling a deceased person’s estate when there is no trust or some assets are not in the trust. It involves validating the will, paying debts, and distributing property to heirs. Probate can be time-consuming, which is why many families use trusts to avoid it.

  • Executor – Appointed in a will to manage probate according to the deceased’s instructions.

    Administrator – Appointed by the court when there is no will, or the will does not name an executor. The administrator has similar responsibilities but may have more court oversight.

  • Successor Trustee – Steps in to manage a trust after the original trustee becomes incapacitated or passes away.

    Power of Attorney (POA) – Grants authority to a trusted person to make financial or legal decisions while you are still alive but unable to act on your own.

  • This document allows you to appoint someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you are unable to communicate your wishes. It also allows you to specify your preferences for medical care in different scenarios.

  • A Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a medical order that outlines your treatment preferences in serious illness. It complements an Advance Health Care Directive and is typically used in healthcare settings to guide emergency care.

Ready to protect your family’s future?

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