Estate Planning

Our office prioritizes developing an understanding of your family makeup, assets, planning concerns and goals, and applies our knowledge of and experience in California estate planning to create a robust estate plan to support you and your loved ones.

A good estate plan generally conserves an individual or married couple's property for use during their lifetime, and then minimizes taxes, delays, and administrative costs when the property is ultimately transferred to designated beneficiaries such as children, other relatives or friends.

An integrated California estate plan often includes a revocable trust, a pour-over will, a durable powers of attorney for property management and an advanced health care directive. An estate planning attorney may also use other legal tools such as jointly owned property, life insurance policies, gifts, buy/sell agreements, trust transfer deeds, guardian nominations for minor children, or other mechanisms depending on the goals of the client.

Find out if establishing a trust makes sense for your situation.

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Estate Planning Tools

Trust:

A legal arrangement whereby property is transferred with an intention that it be held and administered by a trustee as a fiduciary for the benefit of another. A revocable inter vivos trusts are often used to maintain assets for use during the client’s lifetime and distribute assets according to the client's wishes. Revocable trusts can be used to avoid probate administration provided the trust is properly funded. Trusts can also be used to achieve certain tax-savings objectives, such as a marital deduction trust to help minimize estate taxes. A "special needs" trust is designed to provide support to an elderly or disabled beneficiary while avoiding the loss of available government benefits.
Pour-over Will:

Adds assets of an estate to an existing trust and is often used to complement a revocable trust to ensure that all of the client’s assets are distributed according to a consistent plan. A will is used for purposes of nominating guardians for minor children or incapacitated dependents and may also dispose of particular assets held outside the trust.
Durable Power of Attorney:

In the event the client becomes incapacitated, provides direction as to how their property will be properly managed and conserved for their own benefit and according to their estate plan by a nominated "attorney in fact."
Advanced Health Care Directive:

In the event the client becomes incapacitated, provides for the client's wishes as it pertains to health care and authorizes an agent to make health care decisions for the client accordingly.

Contact

5403 Scotts Valley Dr, Suite D
Scotts Valley, CA 95066

(831) 429-9500

Services

Business Hours

Monday - Friday	8am to 4pm
Saturday & Sunday	Closed

Disclaimer: The information contained in this website location is intended to be for general information only and should not be relied on when making legal decisions without also obtaining competent legal counsel from an attorney. Laws vary from state to state and no representations are made to the accuracy of information except as it pertains to the laws of California.