Your personalized estate plan details specific instructions to your family related to your intentions. This helps remove any doubt and potential hostility among your loved ones. Your quality estate plan can also help your family appreciate and respect your wishes in the event you become incapacitated. The best estate plans may also protect your assets from estate taxes, property tax increases and other potential tax issues.
Wills & Trusts
A will assists with items such as the distribution of your estate at the time of your death and can provide for the care of your surviving children.
A trust is a fiduciary arrangement that allows a third party, or trustee, to hold assets on behalf of your beneficiaries. Trusts can be arranged in many ways and can specify exactly how and when your assets pass to your beneficiaries. This document is crucial to helping your beneficiaries avoid the painful probate process in California after your passing. It also is essential for ensuring that someone you trust manages your assets according to your wishes.
Guardianship & Conservatorship
A Guardianship pertains to minors who require care by someone other than a parent concerning their Person and/or their Estate. A Conservatorship is a court appointed person (the conservator) to manage an incapacitated person’s (the conservatee) financial and personal affairs. The conservator's duties include overseeing finances, establishing and monitoring the physical care of the conservatee, and managing living arrangements.
Durable Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is a legal document that gives a trusted person you choose the power to act in your place. If you ever become mentally incapacitated, you'll need durable powers of attorney for medical care and finances. A durable power of attorney document stays in effect if you become incapacitated and unable to handle matters on your own.
Advance Healthcare Directive
Advance Healthcare Directives, such as living wills, are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for medical care if you are unfit to make decisions for yourself. Advance directives instruct choices for doctors and caregivers if you're seriously injured, incapacitated or near the end of life. Sudden end-of-life situations can happen at any age, so it's important for all adults to prepare these documents. By planning ahead, you can choose your own medical care and avoid any unnecessary suffering and relieve your loved ones of confusion or disagreement about the choices you would want during moments of crisis and grief.
Entity Formation
If you are thinking of purchasing a business, establishing a new company, or going into a partnership, we will provide counsel regarding the form of your business whether a partnership, S-corporation, C-corporation, limited liability (LLC), or other form of entity. Each form of entity has implications regarding taxes, exposure to personal liability, and operational flexibility. We are here to help guide you through this process, so you can get your business up and running as soon as possible.
