Estate Planning
Plan, Protect and have peace of mind with our experienced estate planning attorneys.
You have worked hard to achieve success. Now you want to make sure your assets are protected and your golden years are spent in comfort. You also want your loved ones well taken care of after you are gone. This all can be accomplished with proper Estate Planning. We dedicate ourselves to helping individuals and families from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds do just that.
Together, we will create an estate plan for you that protects your hard-earned assets and your legacy. We can also ensure your children’s inheritance is safe from creditors, predators, and even their own inability to handle an inheritance alone.
Our estate planning team has the answers when it comes to questions like:
How can I make sure those who are dependent on me are also taken care of if I become incapacitated? What can I do to make sure my family doesn’t fight after I die? How can I make the whole process as easy as I can for my loved ones?
What you need to know about Estate Planning.
Even if you already have an estate plan, chances are our experienced team can make it significantly better. After all, an outdated or inadequate plan is often worse than no plan at all.
It’s important to note that if you don’t have an estate plan, the State of California will create one for you. How? Decisions about your assets, that is, “who gets what,” will be made by the California probate court, based upon California statutes. Not surprisingly, “California’s Plan” will not focus on minimizing taxes or looking out for the best interests of you and your heirs. That’s not the State’s goal. This is our job.
Estate planning addresses other important matters as well. For example, if you become incapacitated, who will make financial and medical decisions on your behalf? If something happens to you and your spouse, who decides how your minor children will be cared and provided for? Again, the State of California has laws governing situations such as these. With an estate plan of your own, you make these decisions. You have control.
We have the experience and mastery of estate planning law to design and implement a solid plan. We help to ensure you have control over legal matters that impact your well-being and that of the people you love.
Contact us today to discuss your particular concerns, goals, and hopes for the future.
Free Resources
A plethora of estate planning tools, tips, resources, and more are right at your fingertips. Enjoy instant access to our library of blogs, podcasts, videos, e-books, and more, all developed by Kirsten and our Absolute Trust Counsel team. Get started with any one of our resources below, and if you can’t find something you need, please let us know!
Ebooks
Guidebook 1:
A Will is Not Enough – Securing Your Legacy with Estate Planning
Life can change in an instant. A will is not enough to be prepared. Get free access to our actionable guidebook and start protecting your legacy today.
Guidebook 2 :
Estate Planning – Beyond the Basics
The Essential Guide For Estate Planning Beyond the Basics. Learn how to comfortably define gray areas and assess your own unique needs to effortlessly build a secure future now.
Guidebook 5:
Interviewing Tips – What to Ask A Prospective Estate Planning Attorney
Looking for the right estate planning attorney? Let us empower you to have the final word. Get a free copy of our interview tips straight to your inbox.
Reference Guide 4:
How to Handle Firearms in an Estate
Are you an executor of an estate that includes a firearm? While they do require special consideration, it is possible to safely and legally transfer possession. Download your FREE copy of Stick to Your Guns: How to Handle Firearms in an Estate checklist to understand what the requirements are and to help get the process started. If you’re new or inexperienced with handling firearms, then you’ll definitely want to have this resource on hand.
Podcasts
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 03:
Outside Looking In – Why Professional Fiduciaries Can Be a Better Choice
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 12:
Protecting Your Creative Expression – The Nature of Copyright
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 15:
Kids in the Business: When Personal Estate Planning and Business Succession Planning Collide
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 22:
Estate Organizing 101 with Professional Estate Organizer Meg Connell
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 25:
The Exploration of Legacy Planning and Charitable Giving with Michael Crvarich of the John Muir Health Foundation
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 31:
Do You Have a Firearm In Your Estate Plan?
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 35:
Coronavirus Estate Planning
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 36:
How to Protect Against Coronavirus Scams
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 37:
Coronavirus Estate Planning Triage
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 40:
How to Avoid the Most Common Estate Planning Mistake
Absolute Trust Talk Ep. 45:
California Exit Strategy: Trends, Moving Planning, and More
Videos
Blogs
- Basic Estate Plan Outline
- Bill Paxton’s Death Sheds a New Light on Pre-Surgery Estate Planning Essentials
- Bill Seeks to Impose State Estate Tax
- Do I need to include my music in my estate plan?
- Does Anyone Else Know Where Your Estate Planning Documents Are?
- Determining Mental Capacity in Estate Planning
- Estate Planning Lessons, Celebrity Edition: Nichelle Nichols
- Estate Planning for Your Pets
- Estate Planning Lessons, Celebrity Edition: Aretha Franklin
- Estate Planning Advice From William Shakespeare
- Estate Planning Lessons from George Washington (And Other Presidents)
- Estate Planning Can Help You Pass On Your Values
- Estate Planning For a Second Marriage
- Estate Planning and Divorce
- Estate Planning for a Single Person
- Estate Planning For Young People
- Estate Planning Lessons From the Dead
- Estate Planning Glossary
- Estate Planning Details
- Estate Planning Walnut Creek
- Frequently Asked Estate Planning Questions
- Foreign Beneficiaries Can Pose a Challenge for Estate Plans
- Glossary: Common Estate Planning Terms Explained
- How to Avoid the Most Common Estate Planning Mistakes
- How to Avoid Conflict in Your Estate Plan – Part IV
- How to Avoid Conflict in Your Estate Plan – Part III
- How to Avoid Conflict in Your Estate Plan – Part II
- How to Avoid Conflict in Your Estate Plan – Part I
- How Often Should I Update my Estate Plan?
- IRAs Create Special Estate Planning Concerns
- Loans to Adult Children Must be Addressed in Estate Planning
- Multiple Generations Living Together and Their Estate Planning
- Missing Persons: When is Someone Dead for Estate Planning Purposes?
- New Bills Could Impact Retirement Planning
- New Real Estate Laws May Necessitate Changes to Estate Plan
- Nichelle Nichols Conservatorship Battle Sheds Light on Estate Planning for Incapacity
- Pre-planning for Sudden Death
- Planning Ahead For Key Legal Issues
- Presidential Elections and Estate Planning
- Relocating to Other Western States Could Impact Estate Tax, Value
- The Best Way To Amend Estate Planning Documents
- The Importance of Advanced Planning
- Use Your Estate Plan to Provide for Pet’s Continued Care
- What Does an Estate Organizer Do?
- What Happens To My Estate Plan If I Move To Another State?
- What The SECURE Act Might Mean for You and Your Estate Plan
- What to Do When Guns Are Part of an Estate
- Why Californians Might Have to Pay Hawaiian Estate Taxes
- Why Your Closely-held Business Needs an Estate Plan
- Why You Should Include Sentimental Value in Your Estate Plan