General Estate Planning

In California, Wills generally require formal Probate Court administration. If you do not own real property, and if you do not have more than $150,000 in total assets, and you do not have children or other dependents, you may decide that a simple Last Will and Testament best suits your needs. However, Wills do not provide any remedy or assistance if you are incapacitated. Further, as most California residents know, our state’s probate procedures can be very costly as well as lengthy – and Wills are subject to probate administration.

If you decide to form a personal or family trust with this office, you will accomplish the following:

• You will allow your beneficiaries to administer your affairs privately, without court supervision.
• You will identify who - when you cannot do so - will be legally empowered to make medical decisions on your behalf, access your assets for your benefit and negotiate with your insurance companies, financial institutions and other interested parties.
• You will provide an almost immediate manner in which your assets can be accessed for your care, for the satisfaction of your creditors and for the distribution to your heirs in a private and confidential manner.
• If you are married, you will also double the amount of assets that can be excluded from Federal Estate taxation.

Our office provides expert advice on the formation of personal and family trusts. We make every effort to leverage tax saving opportunities (both from an estate tax perspective as well as from a capital gain perspective) and provide functional solutions to matters that can be difficult and confusing. We believe that our clients leave our office feeling organized and glad to have created a sound, efficient and cost effective estate plan.