Preserve your legacy
Estate Planning
Let us help you preserve your legacy with estate planning services that can provide protection for your family, assets, and property.
It starts with a plan.
Estate Planning is a comprehensive term that is the process of protecting your property and assets for your family and loved ones. An estate plan can be extremely complex or relatively simple depending on the size and nature of your estate. If you do not have a customized plan for what happens to you if you are sick or pass away, you risk…
Your children not living with who you want to raise them
Your money, property and valuables going to the wrong people
Creating conflicts that can occur between your loved ones trying to make decisions for you
By establishing a customized plan, we help you determine your own legacy. By doing this, we make sure you are…
No longer stressing over the “what ifs” in life.
Assured your loved ones will be able to grieve peacefully and without uncertainty
Confident in how your wealth and property will be distributed
Ready to start planning?
With a free consultation, you can make sure we are the right fit for you.
Everything you need to preserve your legacy.
You should look to have the following documents prepared in order to organize your estate and affairs properly.
Spousal Protection Trust
Necessary for blended families and protection from remarriage impacting your family wealth and legacy.
Child Protection Plan
Trust documents that put the person YOU want in custody of your children and protect their assets from predators, creditors or ex-spouses.
Asset Protection
A detailed review of your assets and designation of which assets need to be protected from probate, creditors, business investments, etc.
Incapacity Planning
In dire situations, ensure that the right person is making all the important decisions for you when you are unable to make them yourself.
Estate planning
An Estate Planning process customized for your legacy.
Our legacies all look a little different. Here is our process and how we cater to your specific needs when planning your estate.
STEP 1: Onboarding
- Importance of Estate Planning
- The Probate Problem
- Next Steps
STEP 2: info gathering
Fill out an online form to gather info about your family and the things you own
STEP 3: Design Meeting
Together, we design the trust based on what you want to happen with your property.
STEP 4: drafting
We draft all the documents to make your plan a reality.
STEP 5: Review & Signing
We review the documents and notarize them so they are final and binding
STEP 6: Property Meeting
We have a final discussion about the next steps you need to take to make sure your trust is “funded” correctly
“Brandon is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and thorough. He helped our family set up a trust in no time. Don’t delay!“
– Spencer Jones
Estate Planning
FAQS & Answers
How do I control who gets my assets?
When you create a RLT, you name a trustee (manager of the trust) and the beneficiary (person who benefits from the trust). By naming successor trustees you can ensure someone of your choosing is always managing the trust property. Likewise, by naming successor beneficiaries, you can ensure someone of your choosing is benefiting from the trust property. For example, if you name your children as successor beneficiaries, you have the right to use the trust property for your own benefit for the rest of your life. Upon your passing, your children will possess that right. You can also set up certain parameters prior to your children fully possessing that right, such as reaching a certain age (21, 25, 30, etc.). This gives you more control over the distribution of the trust assets, whereas probate would pass the assets outright to your children if they are of age.
What is the Difference between a Will and Trust?
A will is a testamentary instrument that details the distribution of your estate. The will is carried out through a process called probate – a lengthy proceeding in which the court oversees the final distribution of your estate. A Trust is a management device that allows for title to property and assets to be held directly by the Trust (through the Trustee). Using a trust allows you to skip the probate process and pass your assets directly to those you wish to have it.
What is a Trustee?
A Trustee is the person who manages the trust property. With a revocable trust, the trustee is typically also the settlor (the person who created the trust). Additionally, the settlor in a revocable living trust (RLT) is also the initial beneficiary.
Why would I want to avoid Probate?
Probate can be a lengthy process (sometimes ranging over a year). It can also be expensive. CA has mandatory probate fees that are the highest in the country. Here are the current rates:
- 4% of the first $100,000 of the gross value of the probate estate
- 3% of the next $100,000
- 2% of the next $800,000
- 1% of the next $9 million
- .5% of the next $15 million
- A reasonable amount (determined by the court) for any amounts higher than $25 million
Do you offer probate and trust administration services?
Yes, our firm offers these services.
Learn more here