Estate Planning
Our firm’s package includes the following five (5) documents and costs one reasonable, flat-rate.
Revocable Trust;
Pour-over Will;
Advance Health Care Directive;
Durable Power of Attorney;
Deed or Assignment transferring one property asset; and Certification of Trust
It is important for you to discuss your options with an attorney to make sure you provide for your family in a manner fit for each of member. For example, one of your desired beneficiaries may be a minor and need a Sprinkling Trust or Guardianship, and yet another may need a Special Needs Trust. Our office takes the time to develop a relationship with each client and better understand your individual needs, so that we may better service you.
Estate Administration
If you have recently lost a loved one, and are in need of assistance as you administer or distribute an estate, then our office can inform you of your rights and options and help seamlessly guide you through the administration.
Estate administration is the process of distributing a decedent’s estate to all appropriate beneficiaries named in the decedent’s will or trust. If the decedent did not have a will, the estate will be administered according to the probate; however, a properly constructed will or trust can help you avoid the courts and probate process.
As an executor or administrator, you are going to be held to the highest standards of “fiduciary duty,” and as such you must act in the best interests of the beneficiaries and the estate. In order to avoid future liability, it is important to consult with an attorney about your rights and responsibilities during the estate administration process
Probate Services
In the event that a will or trust was not drafted or drafted improperly, then the administrator or executor of the will has to go through the court ordered estate administration process known as probate. Probate in California takes between nine to eighteen months complete; therefore, it can be cumbersome and tedious for the layperson handling the estate. In order to increase the likelihood that this process is done correctly and smoothly, it is wise to hire an attorney to guide you through.
Note: the legal fees for probate are set by the local court guidelines, but Ms. Grant is willing to bill hourly on an as needed basis.