At the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman we help Fair Oaks residents plan for the future with clear, practical estate planning documents tailored to each family’s needs. Our practice focuses on creating revocable living trusts, last wills and testaments, financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and related trust documents such as certification of trust and pour-over wills. We also assist with irrevocable life insurance trusts, retirement plan trusts, special needs trusts, pet trusts, Heggstad and trust modification petitions, and guardianship nominations. The goal is to provide peace of mind through thoughtful planning and practical solutions that reflect California law and local concerns.
Estate planning is about preparing for how your assets, health care decisions, and the care of loved ones will be managed if you become unable to act or when you pass away. We help clients in Fair Oaks inventory their assets, clarify beneficiary designations, and put documents in place to minimize delays, reduce court involvement, and communicate clear instructions to family members. Whether you have a modest estate or a complex financial picture, our approach emphasizes durable decision-making documents like powers of attorney and health care directives, practical trust funding, and regular reviews so your plan continues to reflect your priorities and changing circumstances.
Effective estate planning offers several practical benefits: it ensures that assets are distributed according to your wishes, reduces the need for court involvement, provides instructions for medical decisions if you cannot decide, and can simplify the transfer of property to loved ones. Creating trusts and properly funding them can avoid probate delays and protect privacy, while powers of attorney allow trusted agents to manage finances without court oversight. For families with dependents, trusts and guardianship nominations provide pathways for continuity of care. Planning now saves time and expense later and gives family members a clear roadmap during difficult times.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman serve residents of Fair Oaks and surrounding Sacramento County with a focus on practical, client-centered estate planning. We draft a full suite of documents, including revocable living trusts, wills, financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and trust-related filings. Our office emphasizes clear communication, thorough document preparation, and careful follow-up to ensure trusts are funded and beneficiary designations are aligned with estate plan goals. We work with clients of varied backgrounds and asset levels to create plans that reflect family priorities and comply with California law.
Estate planning brings together a set of documents and procedures designed to manage financial and personal decisions both during incapacity and after death. Key components include revocable living trusts to hold assets during life and pass them privately at death, last wills and testaments to name guardians and fill gaps, powers of attorney to empower agents to act for you, and advance health care directives to express medical preferences. Proper planning also addresses beneficiary designations, trust funding steps, and documents like certification of trust that help trustees demonstrate authority. The overall process organizes affairs in a way that reduces uncertainty for family members.
A thoughtful estate plan addresses both immediate practicalities and longer-term goals. Immediate tasks often include listing assets, confirming title and beneficiary information, and preparing decision-making documents so authorized agents can act when needed. Longer-term planning can involve trust structures to provide for dependents, manage tax exposures, protect retirement benefits, and provide for special circumstances such as special needs or care for pets. Regular review is important because life events like marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or changes in assets can affect which documents and strategies are most appropriate for achieving your objectives.
Estate planning is the process of creating the legal tools that control what happens to your assets, how your care decisions are made, and who manages those matters if you cannot. Core documents include a revocable living trust to hold and distribute assets, a last will and testament to address remaining property and guardianship for minor children, financial powers of attorney to permit trusted agents to handle financial affairs, and advance health care directives to record health care preferences. Together these documents provide clarity, reduce the need for court involvement, and make it easier for family members to follow your wishes when decisions must be made.
Key elements of an estate plan include instruments that transfer assets, authorize agents, and outline your health care preferences. A revocable living trust is commonly used to avoid probate for assets properly titled to the trust. A pour-over will catches any property not transferred to a trust during life. Powers of attorney permit a designated person to manage finances, while an advance health care directive names a health care agent and states end-of-life wishes. Certification of trust helps trustees prove their authority. Proper coordination among these documents, along with funding and beneficiary review, ensures the plan functions as intended.
Understanding common estate planning terms helps you make informed choices. This glossary covers frequent items such as trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, and petitions related to trusts. Knowing the purpose of each document clarifies why it may be recommended and how it fits into a coordinated plan. For example, trust-related petitions like Heggstad or trust modification petitions address specific legal questions about asset titling or later changes. Reviewing these definitions will make it easier to discuss options and select the combination of documents that aligns with your family’s goals and California rules.
A revocable living trust is a legal arrangement that holds title to assets during your lifetime and directs distribution after death. Because the trust is revocable, you retain control and can amend or revoke it as circumstances change. The trust often names a successor trustee to manage assets if you become unable to act and to handle distribution when you pass away. Properly transferring assets into the trust, known as funding, is essential for the trust to avoid probate. A living trust provides continuity, privacy, and a straightforward mechanism for managing property without court involvement.
An advance health care directive lets you designate a health care agent to make medical decisions for you if you cannot, and it permits you to state your preferences for treatments and end-of-life care. A separate HIPAA authorization allows medical providers to share protected health information with the people you designate, helping those agents make informed decisions. Together these documents ensure that your health care choices are understood and accessible to doctors and family members, and they reduce uncertainty about who should act on your behalf in medical situations that require quick decisions.
A last will and testament is a formal document that designates how property not otherwise transferred should be distributed when you pass away. Wills commonly name an executor to administer the estate and, if applicable, nominate guardians for minor children. A pour-over will often accompanies a living trust to ensure any assets unintentionally left outside the trust are transferred into it after death. Wills typically must be probated in court to carry out their terms, which is why combining a will with trust planning is a common way to reduce probate involvement for many assets.
Trust-related legal actions and documents address specific questions about trust administration and asset titling. A Heggstad petition asks the court to recognize that property held in someone’s name is actually trust property, which may be necessary in some circumstances. A trust modification petition seeks approval to change a trust when circumstances require a formal alteration. Certifications of trust provide proof of the trust’s existence and trustee authority without revealing trust terms. These tools help trustees and beneficiaries manage and clarify trust matters under California law.
When deciding between a limited document set and a comprehensive estate plan, consider the complexity of assets, family structure, and long-term goals. A limited approach might include a will and basic powers of attorney, which can be appropriate for simple estates and straightforward beneficiary designations. A comprehensive plan commonly adds a living trust, detailed trust funding, and additional protections for particular circumstances such as special needs or business interests. We help clients weigh the trade-offs between minimal arrangements and a more thorough plan that aims to reduce court involvement and better manage potential future issues.
A limited estate plan can work for individuals with straightforward assets and clear beneficiary designations, such as retirement accounts and payable-on-death accounts that already transfer outside probate. When homeowners have modest property holdings and few dependents, a will combined with powers of attorney and a health care directive may provide the necessary legal authority without more extensive trust structures. A limited approach emphasizes clarity and lower upfront cost, while recognizing that future events may prompt an upgrade to add trust tools or additional protections to address later changes in family or financial circumstances.
If most assets are already titled with beneficiary designations or held in accounts that bypass probate, a limited plan can be effective for ensuring an orderly transition. Retirement plans, life insurance policies, and certain bank accounts often pass directly to named beneficiaries, which reduces the need for trust structures to accomplish that transfer. However, even when beneficiary designations handle distributions, powers of attorney and health care directives remain important to authorize trusted decision-makers if incapacity arises. Periodic review ensures designations continue to reflect current wishes and family circumstances.
A comprehensive estate plan becomes important for families with blended households, minor children, or beneficiaries with special needs, as well as for individuals holding complex assets such as businesses, multiple real estate holdings, or retirement accounts with significant value. Trust structures, tailored distribution provisions, and guardianship nominations can provide greater clarity and long-term protection. Comprehensive planning can help balance competing priorities, reduce disputes among heirs, and include provisions that address unique family dynamics while ensuring that decision-makers have the authority to manage financial and medical matters when necessary.
When concerns about potential tax exposure, long-term care planning, or retirement benefit treatment exist, a comprehensive approach provides tools to manage those risks. Certain trust arrangements can be designed to help preserve retirement plan benefits, maintain eligibility for public benefits when needed, or provide for efficient administration after death. Comprehensive planning also supports strategies for addressing future long-term care decisions and potential medical expenses by naming decision-makers and setting up structures that reduce the administrative and financial burdens on family members at critical moments.
A comprehensive estate plan coordinates multiple documents and steps to achieve consistent outcomes and reduce the need for court intervention. By combining trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, and careful beneficiary reviews, the plan can help preserve family privacy, decrease administrative delays, and clarify responsibilities for asset management. Proper trust funding ensures that designated property transfers as intended, while powers of attorney and health care directives empower trusted agents to act promptly. The coordinated approach is designed to reduce uncertainty for loved ones and streamline transitions during times of incapacity or loss.
Comprehensive planning also provides flexibility to accommodate changing circumstances by building review and amendment processes into the relationship. Trust modification options and clear documentation of trustee authority, such as certification of trust, help trustees carry out their duties effectively. Detailed plans can address special situations like pet care, trust provisions for beneficiaries with disabilities, and provisions for retirement accounts. This thoroughness reduces the potential for disputes, supports continuity in financial and medical decisions, and gives families a clearer road map during emotional and practical challenges.
A detailed estate plan allows you to specify not just who receives assets but how and when distributions occur. Trust provisions can pace distributions to beneficiaries, protect assets from unintended uses, and provide safeguards for individuals who may need ongoing support. These provisions help align asset distribution with long-term family goals, provide for education or care, and ensure that designated agents have the authority to manage property during incapacity. Greater control over timing and management of assets reduces the chance of hasty decisions and helps preserve wealth across generations in accordance with your wishes.
When an estate plan is comprehensive and properly implemented, families experience fewer interruptions in financial management and faster access to resources needed for care and obligations. Funding trusts, naming agents in powers of attorney, and documenting healthcare preferences remove many roadblocks that otherwise require court orders. By planning ahead, you reduce the administrative tasks heirs must face and provide a clear framework for decision-making. This translates to more time for family to focus on personal matters and less time navigating legal procedures, which is especially valuable during periods of stress.
Start your planning by creating a detailed inventory of all assets, including real estate, bank accounts, retirement plans, life insurance policies, business interests, and personal property. Note account numbers, titles, and beneficiary designations, and gather recent statements. This inventory makes it easier to determine what should be placed in a trust and which accounts will pass by beneficiary designation. Having organized documentation also helps your appointed agents act promptly if you become incapacitated. Regularly updating the inventory keeps your plan current as assets or accounts change over time.
Keep originals and copies of important estate planning documents in a secure but accessible location and let trusted agents know how to find them. Provide copies of powers of attorney and health care directives to the named agents, and make sure your trustee understands the trust’s funding status. Consider creating a written summary of key documents and contacts to reduce confusion during urgent situations. Open communication with family members and appointed agents about your general wishes can help minimize surprises and reduce the likelihood of disputes after an incapacity or death.
Life changes such as marriage, the birth of a child, changes in health, or acquiring significant assets are important triggers for estate planning. Establishing a plan ensures that financial and medical decisions are guided by your preferences and that guardianship and care arrangements are in place for minors or dependents. Planning also minimizes the administrative burden on loved ones and reduces delays that can arise when courts must appoint decision-makers. Addressing these matters proactively provides clarity and legal authority precisely when family members may need it most.
Even without major life changes, routine reviews and updates to documents maintain their effectiveness as laws and personal circumstances evolve. Planning now can reduce the risk of unintended consequences, such as assets passing to outdated beneficiaries or titles that create probate exposure. Thoughtful drafting and proper trust funding are two practical ways to preserve family assets and streamline administration. Whether the motivation is simplifying estate administration, preparing for potential incapacity, or creating long-term protections for loved ones, timely planning provides tangible benefits and reduces future uncertainty.
Welcoming new children or stepchildren commonly prompts a review of estate planning to nominate guardians, establish trusts for minors, and provide for education or support. Documents that name guardians, specify trust distributions, and appoint agents to manage finances are essential to ensure that minors are cared for according to your wishes. Trust arrangements can manage funds until children reach an appropriate age and provide protections if circumstances change. Taking these steps early helps ensure continuity of care and reduces uncertainty for blended and growing families in the future.
Marriage or divorce often requires updates to wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and powers of attorney to reflect new priorities. During marriage, couples commonly revisit estate planning to coordinate beneficiary designations and create plans that address joint ownership and retirement benefits. After a divorce, it is important to check whether documents automatically revoke former spouses’ roles and to update instructions accordingly. Timely revisions help avoid unintended distributions and ensure that appointed decision-makers align with your current family circumstances and wishes.
Acquiring substantial assets, such as additional real estate or business interests, often introduces new planning needs to manage succession and to reduce probate exposure. Trusts can be used to hold real property and business interests, and careful titling and beneficiary designation reviews ensure that those assets transfer in the manner intended. Business owners may need succession provisions and plans for continuity, while real estate owners should confirm that deeds and titles match estate planning documents. Addressing these matters proactively reduces administrative burdens and supports seamless transitions for heirs and managers.
We are here to guide Fair Oaks residents through practical estate planning steps that reflect local needs and California rules. Our services include drafting revocable living trusts, last wills and testaments, financial powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and related trust filings. We also handle unique arrangements like irrevocable life insurance trusts, special needs trusts, pet trusts, and pour-over wills, and offer assistance with Heggstad and trust modification petitions. Our aim is to give clients clear documents, funded trusts where applicable, and ongoing support so that plans remain current and effective over time.
Clients choose our firm for practical, responsive service and careful document preparation tailored to each family’s goals. We focus on creating comprehensive packages that include trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives, and we work to ensure that trusts are properly funded and beneficiary designations are aligned. By prioritizing clear communication and methodical follow-through, we help clients understand their options and implement plans that reduce uncertainty for loved ones. Our goal is to make the planning process straightforward and reliable for Fair Oaks residents.
Working with our office means receiving practical guidance on funding trusts, coordinating beneficiary information, and preparing any necessary trust-related filings such as certification of trust documents. We also assist with petitions that may be needed to clarify trust property status or to modify existing trusts when changes are warranted. Throughout the process, we emphasize documentation that is effective under California law and easy for appointed agents and trustees to follow when decisions are required.
We understand that planning is an ongoing process, so we encourage periodic reviews and updates to ensure documents continue to reflect changing family circumstances, asset acquisitions, or shifts in personal priorities. Whether a client needs a simple set of documents or a full trust-based plan, we provide clear next steps, assist with implementation, and offer support for future updates. Our approach is focused on practical results that make daily life easier for families and ease transitions when critical decisions arise.
Our estate planning process is designed to be thorough and approachable: we begin by gathering information, identifying goals, and reviewing existing documents and asset titles. From there we draft tailored documents, guide clients through execution formalities, and assist with trust funding and beneficiary reviews. We also prepare any supplemental filings or petitions that may be necessary. Follow-up includes answering questions and arranging future reviews so the plan remains aligned with life changes. This structured process helps ensure your wishes are documented and actionable when they are needed most.
The initial meeting focuses on understanding your family situation, inventorying assets, and clarifying your goals for long-term care, asset distribution, and decision-making authority. We review existing documents, beneficiary designations, and any estate documents you already have, and we ask about personal priorities such as guardianship nominations or provisions for dependents. This conversation helps us recommend the appropriate combination of trusts, wills, and powers of attorney, and outlines the next steps to implement a plan that reflects your wishes while complying with California requirements.
During this phase we collect information about real property, bank accounts, retirement plans, life insurance, business interests, and other assets, along with current beneficiary designations and title documents. Reviewing these items reveals which assets will pass outside probate and which should be considered for trust funding. Accurate and comprehensive documentation minimizes surprises and allows us to create instruments that align with how assets are actually titled. A careful inventory sets the foundation for trust funding and ensures a coordinated plan that functions as intended.
We discuss your priorities for distribution, the timing of gifts, plans for minor children, care for dependents with special needs, and any wishes for charitable giving. Understanding these goals informs the drafting of trust provisions and the selection of agents and trustees. We also explore potential concerns such as creditor protection, business succession, or eligibility for public benefits. By clarifying priorities early in the process, we can structure documents that address both immediate needs and long-term objectives in a way that fits your family situation.
After gathering information and confirming goals, we draft the estate planning documents that implement your plan. Drafting includes preparing revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and any necessary trust-related documents such as certification of trust. We draft provisions tailored to your priorities, review the documents with you to confirm accuracy, and suggest language that promotes ease of administration. Clear drafting helps ensure trustees, agents, and family members can carry out your intentions without unnecessary ambiguity.
This step involves assembling the primary estate plan documents: the revocable living trust to hold and distribute assets, the pour-over will to catch any uncovered property, and any other instruments needed to accomplish your goals. We tailor trust provisions for issues like staged distributions, special needs support, or retirement account coordination. Ancillary documents such as certification of trust and general assignment of assets to trust are prepared to facilitate trustee actions and trust funding. Thorough preparation makes administration straightforward when the time comes.
We prepare financial powers of attorney that designate trusted agents to manage money and property if you become unable to act, and advance health care directives that designate medical decision-makers and record treatment preferences. HIPAA authorizations accompany health documents to allow medical providers to share necessary health information with appointed agents. These instruments ensure continuity of decision-making and reduce the need for court-appointed conservatorship by clearly naming authorized decision-makers and stating your medical care preferences in writing.
Once documents are finalized, we guide clients through signing, witnessing, and notarization requirements to ensure validity under California law. We also assist with funding trusts by retitling assets, updating beneficiary designations, and preparing deeds or assignments as needed. After execution, we recommend a schedule for periodic reviews and updates to capture life changes or changes in law. Ongoing maintenance ensures that documents remain current and that trusts continue to function as intended, saving time and cost for family members in the future.
We coordinate the signing process to meet California formalities, including witness and notary requirements for wills and trusts when applicable. Proper execution helps prevent challenges and ensures that documents are accepted by financial institutions and medical providers. We provide guidance on who should receive original documents and how to store them securely. Clear instructions about distribution of originals and copies help trustees, agents, and family members locate necessary paperwork quickly when decisions must be made.
Funding the trust typically requires retitling accounts, updating deeds for real property, and confirming beneficiary designations match the plan’s goals. We assist clients in these steps and provide checklists to complete funding. After implementation, periodic reviews are scheduled to reassess goals, update documents after life events, and confirm that newly acquired assets are incorporated into the plan. Regular maintenance preserves the effectiveness of the plan and reduces the potential need for court action or post-mortem corrections.
A basic estate plan typically includes a last will and testament, a durable financial power of attorney, and an advance health care directive. The will can name an executor and, if there are minor children, a guardian to provide for their care. The financial power of attorney authorizes a trusted person to manage financial matters if you become unable to do so, and the health care directive records your medical treatment preferences and names a decision-maker for medical issues. Together these documents ensure authority and guidance for finances and health care during incapacity and outline distribution of assets at death. Additional documents commonly included in a more comprehensive plan are a revocable living trust, pour-over will, and trust-related documents like a certification of trust or general assignment of assets to the trust. A living trust can help avoid probate for assets properly transferred into it, while ancillary documents support trust administration. The right combination of documents depends on your assets, family situation, and goals, and a review of existing account titles and beneficiary designations helps determine which instruments are most appropriate.
A will and a trust serve related but different purposes. A will directs the distribution of probate assets, names an executor, and allows you to nominate guardians for minor children, while a revocable living trust holds title to assets and directs distribution without the need for probate for property properly transferred to the trust. If your assets are all held in accounts that pass by beneficiary designation, a will may be sufficient under some circumstances; however, assets titled in your name at death typically require probate unless they are placed into a trust or otherwise pass outside probate. A trust can provide privacy and streamline administration by avoiding probate, which can be time-consuming and public. A pour-over will often accompanies a trust to ensure any assets inadvertently left outside the trust are transferred into it after death. Choosing between a will-only approach and a trust-based plan depends on the size and nature of your assets, family needs, and your preference for privacy and ease of administration.
It is advisable to review your estate plan whenever major life events occur, such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, a significant change in assets, or relocation that affects legal rules. Even absent major events, a periodic review every few years helps confirm that documents remain aligned with your wishes and current law. Regular reviews also ensure that beneficiary designations, account titles, and trust funding remain consistent with the plan’s objectives. During a review we check that appointed agents and trustees remain appropriate, confirm that named beneficiaries are current, and verify that newly acquired assets are incorporated into the plan. Updating documents as needed reduces the risk of unintended results and maintains clear authority for financial and medical decision-making in case of incapacity or death.
A durable financial power of attorney appoints someone to manage your financial affairs and property if you are unable to do so. This agent can pay bills, manage accounts, and make financial decisions on your behalf according to the authority you grant in the document. The power of attorney is effective during your lifetime and ceases at death, so it is an important tool for incapacity planning and daily financial management when you cannot act. An advance health care directive, by contrast, expresses your medical treatment preferences and names a health care agent to make medical decisions for you if you cannot. It guides doctors and family members about end-of-life and other medical choices and often includes a HIPAA authorization so medical providers can share information with your appointed agent. Both documents work together to provide comprehensive authority for financial and medical matters during incapacity.
A revocable living trust helps avoid probate for assets that are properly transferred into the trust during your lifetime because the trust holds legal title to those assets and designates how they should be managed and distributed. When assets are titled in the trust’s name or are otherwise assigned to it, the successor trustee can manage and distribute them outside the probate process, which often reduces delays and preserves privacy. Proper funding—retitling accounts and changing deeds where appropriate—is essential for a trust to accomplish this benefit. Assets that are not transferred into the trust or that pass by beneficiary designation may still require probate unless they have other transfer mechanisms. A pour-over will can capture assets left outside the trust and transfer them into it at death, but those assets may still be subject to probate administration. Careful review of account titles and beneficiary designations helps ensure the trust functions as intended to avoid probate.
Yes, revocable trusts and wills can be amended or revoked during your lifetime as long as you have capacity to make those changes. Revocable trusts are commonly used because they allow you to retain control and make adjustments as circumstances change, such as adding or removing beneficiaries, changing trustees, or adjusting distribution terms. Wills may be updated by executing a new will or by adding a codicil. It is important to follow formal execution requirements to ensure amendments are effective under California law. Some documents, such as irrevocable trusts or other permanent arrangements, are designed to be less changeable and may have limited modification options. When significant changes are needed for an irrevocable arrangement, legal petitions or negotiations with interested parties may be required. Regular review and timely updates help avoid the need for court involvement or complex post-creation changes.
A Heggstad petition is a legal filing in California used to ask the court to recognize that property titled in an individual’s name should be treated as trust property because it was intended to be part of the trust. This petition can be useful when assets were not formally retitled into a trust but evidence shows the owner intended those assets to belong to the trust. The petition clarifies the property’s status and helps trustees demonstrate authority to manage and distribute that property according to the trust’s terms. Heggstad petitions are typically used in specific circumstances where funding gaps occur or where institutions question a trustee’s authority to act. While proper funding of the trust generally avoids the need for such filings, our office can assist with preparing the necessary documentation and filings when circumstances make a petition the appropriate remedy to align asset titles with the trust’s intended plan.
Funding a trust involves transferring ownership of assets from your individual name into the name of the trust. Common steps include retitling real estate deeds into the trust, changing bank and brokerage account registrations, and updating beneficiary designations where appropriate. For some assets, such as retirement accounts, beneficiary designations are often the right tool rather than transferring the account into the trust directly. Proper funding is vital because assets left outside the trust may remain subject to probate and could undermine the plan’s goals for avoiding probate and ensuring efficient administration. We provide checklists and assistance to guide clients through funding actions, prepare any necessary deeds or assignments, and confirm account changes. Taking the time to fund the trust at the outset and to maintain funding for new assets later on ensures that the trust achieves the intended practical benefits for family continuity and privacy.
Planning for a family member with special needs calls for careful coordination to preserve eligibility for public benefits while providing appropriate supplemental support. A special needs trust can hold funds for a beneficiary’s additional care without disqualifying them from means-tested benefits. Choosing the right trustee, drafting clear distribution standards, and coordinating with existing benefits are critical to making such a trust effective. Working through these details helps families provide long-term support without jeopardizing access to needed public resources. In addition to trust drafting, it is important to address guardianship or conservatorship contingencies and to name agents in powers of attorney and health care directives who understand the beneficiary’s needs. Periodic reviews ensure that the plan continues to meet the beneficiary’s needs as circumstances and benefits rules change. Proper planning helps protect the individual’s quality of life while preserving necessary assistance and services.
Nominating a guardian for minor children is typically done within a last will and testament by naming one or more persons to assume custody and care if both parents are unable to do so. The will can also include instructions for managing funds for a minor child, such as directing how inheritance should be held in trust until the child reaches a specified age. Choosing a guardian involves considering the person’s parenting approach, location, financial stability, and willingness to accept the responsibility. Because guardianship nominations in a will take effect only if both parents are deceased or incapacitated and the court approves the appointment, it is also prudent to discuss your wishes with the nominated guardian and with other family members. Providing clear guidance and establishing trusts for the financial support of minor children helps to ensure continuity of care and that funds are used in ways that align with the parents’ priorities.
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