Comprehensive Estate Planning Services
Estate planning is about making sure your wishes are honored and your family is protected — whether you're just starting a family or preparing your legacy. Without a plan, California law and the probate courts decide who gets your assets, who raises your children, and who manages your affairs. A thoughtful estate plan puts those decisions back in your hands.
Living Trusts
A revocable living trust is the cornerstone of California estate planning. It avoids probate, protects your privacy, and seamlessly transfers assets to your loved ones.
Wills & Testaments
Your will directs how assets outside your trust are distributed. We draft clear, legally binding documents that reflect your intentions and stand up to scrutiny.
Powers of Attorney
Designate a trusted person to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. This is an essential document for every adult, regardless of age or asset level.
Healthcare Directives
An advance healthcare directive and POLST ensure your medical wishes are followed when you cannot speak for yourself — protecting you and relieving your family of an impossible burden.
Trust Administration
We guide trustees and beneficiaries through the trust settlement process after a loved one passes, reducing confusion, conflict, and costly mistakes.
Asset Protection Planning
Strategies to shield your wealth from creditors and lawsuits while keeping you in full control of your assets and their eventual distribution.
California families take note: California's probate process can take 12 to 24 months and consume 4 to 8% of your estate's value in fees. A properly drafted living trust sidesteps probate entirely — keeping more of your estate in your family's hands.
Why California Families Choose a Living Trust
- Avoids the California probate process entirely
- Keeps family financial matters private — not public record like a probated will
- Allows seamless, immediate transfer of assets to beneficiaries
- Protects minor children's inheritance until they reach an appropriate age
- Enables continuous asset management if you become incapacitated
- Can include tailored provisions for blended families and special needs beneficiaries
Our Process
We make estate planning straightforward and personal. Here is what to expect when you work with Maria.
Free Consultation
We review your family situation, assets, and goals in a relaxed, no-pressure meeting. No charge, no commitment — just clear answers to your questions.
Custom Drafting
We draft your trust, will, and all ancillary documents — powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and more — tailored precisely to your family dynamics and California law.
Review & Signing
We walk through every document with you before you sign. You will understand exactly what you are signing and why. No surprises, no rushed appointments.
Funding Your Trust
A trust that is not funded is a trust that does not work. We guide you step by step through retitling your assets — home, bank accounts, investments — into your trust so it functions exactly as intended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from Encino and Calabasas families considering estate planning.
For most California families, a living trust is far superior to a will alone. A will must go through probate — a costly, public court process that can take 12 to 24 months. A living trust avoids probate entirely, keeps your affairs private, and allows immediate asset transfer to your beneficiaries. Many clients use both: a trust as the primary vehicle and a "pour-over will" as a safety net to capture any assets not yet transferred into the trust.
A comprehensive estate plan — including a living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives — typically costs far less than you might expect, and far less than the cost of probate. We are transparent about fees from the start. Contact us for a clear fee quote after your free consultation, once we understand your specific situation and needs.
The best time is now. Life events that make estate planning especially urgent: getting married, having children, buying a home, starting a business, or if a parent is aging. If you have any assets or someone who depends on you, you need a plan. Waiting creates risk — for you and for the people you love.
Yes. A revocable living trust can be amended or revoked at any time while you are alive and competent — that is what makes it "revocable." Major life changes — divorce, new children, new assets, moving to a new state — should each trigger a trust review. We make the amendment process straightforward for our clients.
Your home will likely have to go through California probate, which is time-consuming, expensive, and entirely public. Given that real estate in the Encino and Calabasas area carries significant value, probate fees on your home alone can run into tens of thousands of dollars. A living trust allows your home to transfer directly to your chosen beneficiaries with no court involvement and no delay.