The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman assists Topanga residents with practical estate planning documents and strategies tailored to California law. Our services cover revocable living trusts, last wills and testaments, financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and related trust documents such as certification of trust, pour-over wills, Heggstad petitions, and trust modification petitions. We help clients create plans that address asset transfer, incapacity planning, and care for minor or dependent beneficiaries. Whether you have modest assets or a more complex portfolio, we focus on clear, workable documents that reflect your wishes and meet legal requirements in Los Angeles County and throughout California.
Estate planning is about making decisions now to protect your family and manage your affairs later. In Topanga and greater Los Angeles County, local courts and institutions have specific practices and timelines, so planning with attention to California rules is important. Our approach begins with listening to your personal goals, family dynamics, and financial picture, then recommending a plan that can include trusts, wills, guardianship nominations, and health care directives. We emphasize straightforward explanations and step-by-step processes that make it easier for you and your loved ones to follow the plan when it matters most.
A well-crafted estate plan provides control over how assets are distributed, reduces stress for surviving family members, and can speed resolution after incapacity or death. Properly drafted revocable living trusts and pour-over wills can simplify transfers and help avoid or minimize probate delays in California courts. Financial powers of attorney and advance health care directives ensure that trusted individuals can manage finances and health decisions if you are unable to do so. Additionally, planning can preserve benefits for vulnerable beneficiaries, name guardians for minor children, and create clear directions for administration of retirement accounts and life insurance trusts.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman serves clients across California with a focus on estate planning and related petitions. Based in San Jose and assisting families in the Topanga area, the firm brings sustained practice in drafting trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, plus handling trust modifications and litigation-related petitions such as Heggstad filings. We strive to provide clear guidance, timely communication, and practical documents that reflect each client’s personal circumstances. To schedule a consultation or discuss specific documents like irrevocable life insurance trusts or special needs trusts, call our office at 408-528-2827.
Estate planning encompasses a set of legal documents and procedures designed to manage your assets, health decisions, and personal care if you become incapacitated or pass away. Key elements include a last will and testament to name beneficiaries and guardians, a revocable living trust to hold assets for easier transfer, powers of attorney for financial matters, and advance health care directives to ensure medical wishes are followed. Each element plays a role: some control distribution, others provide authority for decision makers. The goal is to reduce uncertainty, protect loved ones, and create a clear roadmap for administration when you cannot act on your own behalf.
In California, particular attention should be paid to trust funding, proper beneficiary designations, and compliance with state rules for notarization and witnesses. Documents such as a certification of trust can simplify dealings with banks, while pour-over wills ensure any assets not placed into a trust during life are moved into the trust at death. For clients with life insurance, retirement accounts, or special asset structures, irrevocable life insurance trusts and retirement plan trusts can be part of a broader plan. Regular review of documents keeps plans aligned with changing laws, family situations, and financial circumstances.
Estate planning documents work together to address different needs: a revocable living trust holds title to assets and provides terms for their management and distribution, while a last will and testament names guardians for minor children and covers any assets not already in a trust. A financial power of attorney designates someone to handle banking, property, and tax matters, and an advance health care directive expresses health care preferences and appoints a decision-maker for medical choices. Ancillary documents such as HIPAA authorizations, certifications of trust, and general assignments of assets to a trust make administration smoother and help institutions recognize the plan you have created.
A typical estate planning process begins with a consultation to identify goals and family circumstances, followed by collection of asset information and beneficiary designations. Drafting includes preparation of trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and any specialized trust documents like irrevocable life insurance trusts or special needs trusts if needed. After documents are reviewed and signed according to California formalities, funding a trust and updating account titles and beneficiary forms are necessary to put the plan into effect. Finally, periodic review and updates ensure the plan adapts to life changes or legal developments.
This glossary explains the common terms used in estate planning so clients can make informed decisions. It covers trust types, wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, petitions related to trust administration, and common processes such as trust funding and beneficiary updates. Understanding these terms helps you evaluate options, ask focused questions during the planning process, and follow through on administrative steps that keep the plan effective. If a term is unclear or you have a unique situation, our office can provide practical explanations and suggest appropriate documents for Topanga and California law.
A revocable living trust is a flexible estate planning instrument that holds title to assets during your lifetime and provides instructions for their management if you become incapacitated and for distribution at death. Because it is revocable, the trustmaker can change terms or revoke the trust while alive. Properly funded, a revocable living trust can reduce the need for probate for assets titled in the trust and allow for a smoother transition to trustees named to manage or distribute assets. It also allows for continuity of management and can address care for beneficiaries who may require ongoing oversight.
A pour-over will functions alongside a trust by directing that any assets not already transferred into a trust during your life should be transferred into the trust at death. It acts as a safety net to ensure assets are ultimately governed by the trust’s terms, even if funding was incomplete. While a pour-over will still goes through probate for assets in the will, the ultimate distribution follows the trust. This document also typically nominates guardians for minor children and appoints an executor to handle probate steps for any assets that remain outside the trust at death.
A power of attorney is a legal authorization that allows a chosen person to act on your behalf for financial, legal, or property matters. A durable financial power of attorney remains effective if you become incapacitated and can be tailored with specific powers or limitations. This document is essential for ensuring bills are paid, taxes are handled, and assets are managed without court involvement if you cannot act for yourself. Choosing an appropriate agent and providing clear instructions can prevent delays and reduce the need for court-appointed guardianship in California.
An advance health care directive records your preferences about medical treatment and designates someone to make health care decisions on your behalf if you cannot communicate your wishes. It often includes a HIPAA authorization to allow health care providers to share medical information with the designated agent. This directive can cover life-sustaining treatment, organ donation, pain management preferences, and instructions for comfort care. Having a clear advance health care directive helps medical professionals and loved ones follow your wishes and reduces uncertainty during stressful health events.
When considering estate planning, clients often weigh a limited approach—focused on a will and basic documents—against a comprehensive plan that uses trusts, beneficiary designations, and supporting filings. A limited plan may be appropriate for very simple estates where assets transfer directly by beneficiary designation or community property rules. In contrast, a comprehensive approach addresses potential probate avoidance, incapacity management, tax considerations, and protection for heirs who may need ongoing oversight. Each option has trade-offs in cost, complexity, and the level of control provided, so matching the approach to personal circumstances is important.
A limited estate plan can be sufficient if your assets are modest and most transfer outside probate through beneficiary designations, joint ownership, or retirement accounts. When property titles and beneficiary forms already align with intended distributions and family relationships are straightforward, a will combined with financial and medical directives may meet immediate needs. This approach can be more cost-effective for households with uncomplicated holdings, though it remains important to confirm that account beneficiary designations are current and that documents conform to California formalities to avoid unintended outcomes.
If there are no significant tax concerns, blended family issues, or beneficiaries who require structured distributions, a limited plan can serve many clients well. When heirs are capable adults and assets do not include business interests, multiple real estate parcels, or out-of-state holdings, avoiding the complexity of trusts may be reasonable. Still, even with a limited plan, it is wise to maintain powers of attorney and health care directives to handle incapacity, and to periodically verify that beneficiary designations and account titles align with your intentions under California law.
A comprehensive plan is often recommended for those with multiple properties, business interests, retirement accounts, or significant assets that may benefit from trust ownership to streamline transfer. Trusts can provide continuity of management, reduce the potential for probate in California, and allow for customized distribution schedules for beneficiaries. For families with real estate in multiple locations or with special tax or creditor exposure, coordinated trust and account titling strategies help minimize administrative burden and provide clearer guidance for trustees and heirs when the time comes.
When beneficiaries include minors, adults with disabilities, or those who would benefit from controlled distributions, a comprehensive plan can include special needs trusts, spendthrift provisions, and trustee directions for long-term care. Planning for incapacity through durable powers of attorney and health care directives complements financial planning, ensuring that appointed agents can manage funds and advocate for medical care consistent with your wishes. These combined measures provide families with a structured approach to preserving benefits, avoiding undue financial exposure for vulnerable beneficiaries, and ensuring continuity of care.
A comprehensive estate plan can provide greater certainty for your family by integrating trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and health directives into a coordinated strategy. This integration helps avoid gaps between documents, reduces the likelihood of probate for assets held in trust, and clarifies who will manage finances and medical decisions. Comprehensive planning also accommodates specific family dynamics, enabling staggered distributions, conditions on inheritance, or long-term management by a trustee. This approach aims to make administration smoother and reduce emotional and fiscal strain during transitions.
Beyond administration, a comprehensive plan supports continuity of care and financial management in the event of incapacity, identifies decision-makers for health and finances, and aligns asset ownership with distribution goals. It can include measures to protect retirement benefits and life insurance proceeds, establish trusts for beneficiaries with special needs, and provide for pets or charitable gifts. Regular reviews of a comprehensive plan help keep it effective as laws and personal circumstances change, preserving the intentions you set today for the future.
A comprehensive plan allows you to tailor distribution timing, amounts, and conditions to match the needs of beneficiaries, which can be especially helpful when heirs are young, inexperienced, or have special needs. Trust provisions can set staged distributions or require trustee oversight for significant assets, reducing the risk that sudden access to funds will harm long-term security. By combining trusts with clear beneficiary designations and supporting documents, you maintain a practical level of control over how your estate is administered and ensure assets serve their intended purpose across generations.
Using trusts to hold assets can reduce the need for probate administration in California, saving time and potentially lowering court involvement for your family. A reduced administrative burden frees loved ones to focus on personal and emotional matters rather than lengthy court processes. In addition, clear powers of attorney, health care directives, and documentation like certifications of trust help financial institutions and medical providers act quickly and in accordance with your wishes, which minimizes delays and confusion during stressful moments.
Begin your planning by compiling a thorough inventory of assets, including bank accounts, real estate, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, business interests, and digital property. Note account numbers, titles, and current beneficiary designations, and gather deeds, policy statements, and plan documents. This inventory helps identify assets that must be retitled or have beneficiary forms updated to align with your plan. Accurate records reduce later administrative delay and make it easier to decide whether a trust, will, or other vehicle best addresses each asset and its intended distribution.
Discuss your plan with chosen agents, trustees, and beneficiaries so they understand roles, locations of important documents, and your general wishes. Clear communication reduces surprise and conflict during transitions and helps appointed individuals carry out duties effectively. While you do not need to share every detail, explaining who will act and where documents are kept prevents delays and empowers agents to manage finances or health decisions when needed. Regular check-ins ensure that appointed people remain willing and able to serve if called upon.
Estate planning protects your family by naming who will care for minor children, who will manage finances, and how assets should be distributed. Without clear documents, state rules and probate processes can determine outcomes that may not reflect your wishes. Planning also addresses potential incapacity by appointing agents with explicit authority to handle financial and medical decisions. Taking these steps now reduces risk of court involvement later and provides a practical framework for loved ones to follow, helping them focus on priorities rather than administrative obstacles after a life-changing event.
Other common reasons to plan include preserving retirement savings, protecting benefits for beneficiaries with disabilities, and arranging for long-term care or pet care. Estate planning can also facilitate efficient transfer of business interests or allow philanthropic intentions to be carried out. Regular review ensures plans remain appropriate as life changes occur, such as remarriage, significant asset changes, or the arrival of grandchildren. By creating clear documents now, you establish a roadmap that reduces ambiguity and supports smoother administration in the future.
Life events often prompt estate planning: marriage, the birth of a child, divorce, the acquisition of property, or changes in health. Business owners, those with beneficiaries who have special needs, and individuals with sizable retirement accounts commonly need tailored plans to address tax, creditor, or benefit issues. Health concerns or aging parents may require advance health care directives and powers of attorney to prepare for incapacity. In all cases, proactive planning helps ensure that assets and care decisions reflect your intentions and reduce stress for those left to manage legal and financial matters.
Major family changes such as marriage, the birth of a child, or divorce necessitate updates to estate plans to reflect new priorities and responsibilities. Marriage may prompt joint planning and coordinated beneficiary designations, while the birth of a child typically brings the need to name guardians and consider trusts for minors. Divorce often requires revision of beneficiary designations and removal of former spouses from documents. Keeping estate documents current with life events ensures that decisions made earlier still align with your present wishes and family needs.
When you acquire significant assets such as a new home, investment property, a business, or inheritances, updating your estate plan protects those assets and clarifies how they should be handled. New holdings may benefit from trust ownership, revised beneficiary designations, or specific distribution instructions to manage tax or creditor exposure. Regularly reviewing and adjusting documents after major financial changes ensures the plan continues to reflect your intentions and that administrative steps like funding trusts are completed to make the plan effective.
Health concerns or the prospect of long-term care highlight the need for advance health care directives, HIPAA authorizations, and durable powers of attorney so that trusted individuals can make medical and financial decisions if you cannot. Planning for incapacity allows for smoother transitions in medical care and financial management and helps avoid court-appointed guardianships. Including clear instructions for palliative or end-of-life care, and naming decision-makers, provides peace of mind for you and practical guidance for family members when difficult choices arise.
We are available to assist Topanga residents with drafting and updating estate planning documents, advising on trust funding, and preparing petitions such as Heggstad or trust modification filings. Our office aims to provide responsive communication and practical solutions tailored to California law and Los Angeles County procedures. Whether you need a revocable living trust, pour-over will, HIPAA authorization, or guardianship nominations, we provide clear instructions for execution and follow-up. To discuss your situation and begin planning, contact the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman at 408-528-2827.
Clients choose our firm for straightforward, client-focused estate planning that prioritizes clear communication and practical documents. We guide you through decisions about trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, explaining options in plain language and aligning documents with California requirements. Our process emphasizes listening to family goals and applying consistent drafting practices so the plan is durable, understandable, and effective. We also assist with related matters such as certification of trust forms, pour-over wills, and petitions necessary to administer or modify trusts when circumstances change.
We focus on providing timely responses and helping clients complete the administrative steps that make plans work, such as funding trusts and updating account titles and beneficiary forms. Clear instructions and checklists help clients complete these steps efficiently, and our office remains available to answer follow-up questions. For clients in Topanga and throughout Los Angeles County, we provide guidance on local practices and filing needs, helping ensure that documents are properly executed and practical for banks, retirement plan administrators, and health care providers to recognize and apply.
Our services also extend to specialized trust work when appropriate, such as preparing irrevocable life insurance trusts, retirement plan trusts, special needs trusts, and pet trusts, and handling Heggstad petitions or trust modification petitions when funding issues or changed circumstances require legal attention. We assist clients with guardianship nominations for minor children and can help assemble a coordinated set of documents that work together to meet long-term family and financial goals. Contact us to discuss which combination of documents best fits your situation and how to implement them effectively.
Our process begins with a conversation to understand your goals, assets, and family situation, followed by collection of key documents and account information. We draft tailored documents and explain the implications of each choice, then review drafts with you and make any revisions needed. Once signed and notarized in accordance with California rules, we provide guidance on funding trusts and updating beneficiary designations. We also recommend periodic reviews and can assist with petitions or modifications if circumstances change over time, ensuring your plan remains effective and current.
The initial step focuses on understanding your family dynamics, financial picture, and estate planning goals. We ask about real estate, retirement accounts, life insurance, business interests, and any beneficiaries with special needs. This meeting identifies whether trusts, wills, powers of attorney, or other documents are appropriate and outlines next steps. Collecting documents such as deeds, account statements, and existing beneficiary forms early helps the drafting stage proceed more smoothly and reduces the risk of oversights that could affect the plan’s effectiveness under California law.
During the first meeting we clarify your goals for asset distribution, care for minor or dependent beneficiaries, and instructions for incapacity. We discuss trustee or agent selection, guardianship preferences for children, and any charitable or legacy intentions. Understanding family relationships and potential conflicts enables us to recommend document provisions that anticipate common problems. Clear direction up front ensures the plan is tailored to your values and practical needs while minimizing ambiguity for those who will implement your wishes later.
Gathering accurate information on asset ownership, titles, beneficiary designations, and debts is essential to crafting an effective plan. We request documents like deeds, account statements, policy numbers, and current estate planning paperwork so we can identify funding needs and any inconsistencies. This inventory helps determine whether a trust should hold particular assets and whether beneficiary forms require updates. Thorough documentation reduces the need for later corrections and gives a solid foundation for the drafting phase.
In the drafting stage we prepare the chosen documents, which may include revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and any specialized trust instruments. Each document is drafted to reflect your decisions about distribution, management, and incapacity planning while complying with California formalities. Once drafts are complete, we review them with you, answer questions, and make revisions until the documents accurately represent your intentions. This collaborative review ensures clarity and practical application when documents are executed.
We prepare trust agreements, pour-over wills, financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and other documents tailored to your situation. For clients with unique needs we draft additional instruments like irrevocable life insurance trusts, retirement plan trusts, special needs trusts, or pet trusts. Each document contains practical directions for trustees and agents to follow and includes language designed to be recognized by banks and plan administrators. Clear, organized drafting helps minimize later administration issues and aligns documents with your goals.
After drafting, we walk through each document with you to confirm that terms reflect your intentions and to address any questions or concerns. Revisions are made as necessary to clarify distributions, trustee powers, or agent authorities. We explain execution requirements, such as witness or notarization needs under California law, and provide checklists for completing administrative follow-up like funding trusts and updating beneficiary forms. Final approval occurs when you are satisfied that the documents match your goals and you are ready to sign.
Execution and proper funding are what make the plan effective. We coordinate signing, notarization, and witness requirements and provide instructions for retitling assets and updating beneficiary designations where appropriate. Once documents are in place, periodic review is advisable to maintain alignment with changes in life, law, or financial circumstances. We offer guidance on when to modify trusts, file petitions to correct funding issues, or update documents after events like marriage, divorce, births, or the acquisition of significant assets.
Proper execution includes following California requirements for signatures, notarization, and witness presence where necessary, and ensuring clients receive original signed documents for safe keeping. We advise on storage options and provide copies for named agents and trustees so they know where to find key paperwork. Having properly executed originals readily available is important for financial institutions and health care providers to accept designated authorities without delay. We also prepare certifications of trust that simplify trustee interactions with banks and title companies.
After execution, funding a trust by transferring titles, retitling accounts, and updating beneficiary forms is essential to achieving the plan’s objectives. We provide step-by-step guidance for these administrative tasks and can assist with filings or petitions if discrepancies arise. Regular reviews—recommended every few years or after major life events—ensure documents remain current and effective. Ongoing attention helps avoid unintended probate, keeps beneficiary designations aligned, and adapts the plan to changing family and financial circumstances.
A last will and testament is a court-filed instrument that names beneficiaries, designates guardians for minor children, and directs distribution of assets that remain solely in your name at death. Wills generally must pass through probate in California if they control probate assets, which can be a public and lengthier process. In contrast, a revocable living trust is a private document that holds assets during life and directs management and distribution by a successor trustee after incapacity or death. Trusts can help avoid probate for assets properly titled in the trust, offering a more private administration. While trusts can provide continuity and avoid probate for funded assets, a will remains important as a safety net for any assets not placed into a trust and for naming guardians. The decision between a will-only plan and a trust-based plan depends on factors like asset types, family complexity, and goals for management and privacy. Discussing both documents together ensures your plan covers all assets and matches your intentions under California law.
Avoiding probate in California commonly involves placing assets into a revocable living trust during your lifetime and ensuring account titles and deeds reflect the trust as owner or beneficiary. Payable-on-death designations and joint ownership where appropriate can also transfer certain assets outside probate. For retirement accounts and life insurance, keeping beneficiary designations current ensures those assets pass according to the designated beneficiaries rather than through probate processes. Even with a trust, proper funding is essential—assets must be retitled or beneficiary forms updated to align with the trust’s terms. Small estates may qualify for simplified administration under California provisions, but larger or more complex holdings typically benefit from trust-based strategies. Reviewing titles and beneficiary forms is a critical administrative step that helps ensure your intentions are carried out without unnecessary court involvement.
A power of attorney is a legal document that authorizes an appointed person to handle financial, legal, and property matters on your behalf. A durable financial power of attorney remains in effect if you become incapacitated, allowing the appointed agent to pay bills, manage accounts, handle tax matters, and make other decisions necessary to preserve your assets. This prevents the need for a court-appointed conservatorship and ensures continuity of financial management when you cannot act personally. Choosing an appropriate agent and clearly outlining their authority helps prevent misunderstandings and unwanted actions. The document can include limits or instructions to guide the agent’s decisions and protect your interests. It should be drafted and signed according to California requirements so institutions recognize the authority granted when it becomes necessary to act.
It is wise to review and update your estate plan every few years and after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, significant changes in assets, or changes in health. Legal developments and shifts in tax law may also warrant a review to ensure documents remain effective and aligned with current rules. Periodic reviews help prevent unintended outcomes and confirm that beneficiary designations and titles continue to reflect your intentions. During a review we confirm that trusts are properly funded, beneficiary forms are current, and that powers of attorney and health care directives still name appropriate agents. Small updates can often be made through amendments or restatements of documents, while more significant changes may require new documents. Regular attention keeps your plan practical and ready to be implemented when needed.
A Heggstad petition in California is used to ask the probate court to recognize that assets were intended to be transferred into a trust during the trustmaker’s lifetime even though formal transfer steps were not completed. This petition can be appropriate when there is evidence that the trustmaker intended the asset to be owned by the trust, such as written instructions or actions consistent with trust funding. The petition asks the court to treat the assets as trust property for purposes of administration. Heggstad petitions are typically used when funding errors occur or when deeds or titles were not properly retitled. Filing such a petition can resolve uncertainty and allow the successor trustee to administer assets according to the trust’s terms, but the process involves court oversight and documentation of intent. Addressing funding issues proactively reduces the likelihood of needing a petition.
Most revocable trusts can be modified or revoked during the trustmaker’s lifetime, allowing changes to beneficiaries, trustees, or distribution terms as circumstances evolve. Amendments or restatements can update specific provisions or replace the trust document wholesale to reflect new decisions. For irrevocable trusts, modification is more limited and may require court approval or consent from beneficiaries, depending on the trust terms and applicable rules. When planning changes are needed, revising documents and completing required administrative steps such as retitling assets or updating beneficiary forms ensures the modified plan functions as intended. Consulting with counsel or a qualified advisor helps identify whether an amendment, restatement, or new trust is the best path given your goals and the nature of existing trust provisions.
Providing for a family member with special needs typically involves creating a plan that preserves eligibility for government benefits while offering supplemental support. Special needs trusts can hold funds for a beneficiary’s benefit without counting as resources for means-tested programs, allowing for enhanced quality of life without jeopardizing benefits. Careful drafting and trustee selection help ensure funds are used for supplemental needs such as education, therapy, or personal support services. Coordination with public benefit rules and beneficiary needs is essential, so trusts and distribution provisions must be drafted with clear language and administration guidelines. Naming a reliable trustee and providing instructions for discretionary distributions that improve the beneficiary’s life without affecting benefits makes these arrangements effective. Planning may also include guardianship nominations and powers of attorney to address decision-making during incapacity.
Funding a trust means transferring ownership of assets into the name of the trust so the trustee can manage them according to the trust terms. This often involves retitling deeds, changing account registrations, and making beneficiary designations point to the trust where appropriate. Without funding, assets remain in your individual name and may still be subject to probate, even if a trust was created, which can defeat one of the trust’s main purposes. Proper funding requires careful review of account types and titles and sometimes coordination with banks, brokerage firms, and plan administrators. We provide guidance and checklists to help clients complete funding steps efficiently and can assist when institutions require specific documentation, such as a certification of trust, to accept trust authority. Fully funded trusts provide clearer administration and help avoid costly or time-consuming probate proceedings.
An advance health care directive and a HIPAA authorization are important components of incapacity planning. The health care directive communicates your medical treatment preferences and appoints an agent to make health care decisions if you cannot, while the HIPAA authorization allows medical providers to share your health information with the person you designate. Together these documents ensure that medical professionals and your chosen decision-maker have the information and authority needed to follow your wishes and coordinate care promptly. Without these documents, family members may face delays in accessing medical records or lack clear authority to make decisions, and courts may become involved. Having both documents completed and accessible provides peace of mind and practical assurance that health care decisions will be made in accordance with your preferences and that necessary medical information can be shared when needed.
The timeline for completing an estate plan varies based on complexity and how quickly necessary information is gathered. A basic plan with a will, powers of attorney, and health care directive can often be prepared and executed in a matter of weeks if documents and signatures are scheduled promptly. Trust-based plans requiring funding and retitling of assets may take longer, depending on the number of accounts, property transfers, and coordination with financial institutions. Delays commonly arise when additional documentation is needed, when title transfers require third-party actions, or when clients want time to review drafts and make revisions. We work with clients to create reasonable timelines, provide clear checklists for administrative steps, and assist in coordinating execution and funding to complete the plan as efficiently as practical given each client’s circumstances.
Criminal Defense
Homicide Defense
Manslaughter
Assault and Battery
Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Battery Causing Great Bodily Injury
Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence Protection Orders
Domestic Violence Restraining Order
Arson Defense
Weapons Charges
Illegal Firearm Possessions
Civil Harassment
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
School Violence Restraining Orders
Violent Crimes Defense
Estate Planning Practice Areas