Estate planning is about much more than preparing for the future—it’s about ensuring peace of mind today. A well-crafted plan puts you in control, protects your loved ones, and makes sure your wishes are carried out during your lifetime and beyond.
Estate planning is about much more than preparing for the future—it’s about ensuring peace of mind today. A well-crafted plan puts you in control, protects your loved ones, and makes sure your wishes are carried out during your lifetime and beyond.
Document your medical wishes and choose an agent to ensure those wishes are respected.
A Revocable Living Trust—sometimes called a Living Trust, Family Trust—is a legal tool that allows you to transfer your assets into the trust during your lifetime while still keeping full control over them. You can change or revoke the trust at any time, and you continue to use your property just as you always have.
A revocable living trust is often the cornerstone of an effective estate plan. It allows you to:
Assets in a trust pass directly to beneficiaries, saving time, money, and court involvement.
A last will and testament remains a key document, even for those who create a living trust. A will:
Names guardians for your minor children
Directs how assets not already in your trust are to be handled
Provides a safety net through a “pour-over will” which ensures anything inadvertently left out of your trust is transferred into it at your death
Without a will, California’s intestacy laws decide how your assets are distributed—often in ways you would not choose.
While both a will and a trust allow you to say who inherits your property, they function very differently:
Assets passed through a will must go through probate—a court process that can be time-consuming, expensive, and public. Assets in a trust bypass probate entirely, allowing for a smoother, faster, and private transfer.
A will only takes effect after death. A living trust also protects you during your lifetime by allowing your successor trustee to step in if you are unable to manage your affairs.
A will becomes public record once it is filed with the court. A living trust, on the other hand, remains private.
A will is often simpler, but limited. A living trust allows for more detailed instructions—such as how and when beneficiaries receive assets, or protections for young children and loved ones with special needs.
For many families in California, a living trust is the preferred choice because it:
Saves time and money by avoiding probate delays and costs. Also, A properly drafted trust keeps loved ones out of court and out of conflict.
Protects privacy by keeping financial matters confidential
If you become unable to manage your affairs, your trust provides continuity and stability without court intervention.
Without a trust, California law decides who inherits your assets. A properly drafted trust allows you to decide who receives you assets, set conditions on distributions for children or beneficiaries, protect inheritance from divorce or creditors, provide for a loved one with special needs, etc.
Yes. Even with a trust, we prepare what’s called a “pour-over will.” This acts as a safety net to make sure any assets unintentionally left outside of your trust are still transferred into it at your death. In addition, only a will can be used to nominate guardians for your minor children.
Creating a living trust is only the first step. To make your trust work, it must be properly funded—meaning your assets need to be titled in the name of the trust. Many law firms stop at drafting the document, but we go further to ensure your trust is fully implemented and updated as your life changes.
Our goal is to give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your plan will actually work when your loved ones need it most.
Our firm stands out because we combine deep legal knowledge with a personal, family-focused approach. We understand this is not just a legal process—it’s a deeply emotional time.
We don’t just process paperwork. We make sure you understand each step, anticipate potential issues, and fight to make the process as smooth as possible for you.
With us by your side, you have a guide who knows the system, protects your interests, and works to bring closure for your family as efficiently as possible.
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