Estate Planning
West Los Angeles Estate Planning Lawyer
When estate planning isn't crafted by design, it will be handled by default. If a California resident dies without a will, trust or other estate planning instruments, asset transfers will be made according to the state intestate statute. The distribution under this statute may or may not bear any relation to the wishes of the decedent.
At the Law Offices of H. Michael Soroy, we provide knowledgeable legal advice for individuals and families creating estate plans. We take a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to the practice of law. We begin with your ultimate goals and then craft legal strategies to reach those goals.
For a free consultation regarding estate planning matters and asset protection concerns, contact us today. From offices in Los Angeles, we serve clients throughout Southern California.
Establishing a Will, Trust, or Durable Powers of Attorney
A comprehensive estate plan allows you to prepare for surprises and plan for the inevitable. By developing an estate plan, you can express your wishes clearly, avoid probate, minimize estate taxes, and ensure that your family is protected regardless of what else may happen.
We routinely create a wide range of estate planning instruments, including:
- Wills
- Revocable Trusts / Living Trusts
- Trusts
- Living Trusts
- Trust Litigation
- Trustees and Fiduciary Responsibility
- Advanced Health Care Directives
- Asset Protection and Tax Issues
- Durable Powers of Attorney
For example, we create estate plans for families with young children. By establishing a living trust, parents can ensure that children are financially secure in the event of unexpected parental death, and that minimal assets are lost to administrative expenses. By designating a guardian, parents can make their wishes for future care clear and legally enforceable.
A properly constructed estate plan can help avoid probate. Probate can be a time consuming process — property transfer through probate can often take up to a year. Probate is a public process, with court documents becoming part of the public record. Probate can also be an expensive process, with substantial fees going to the executor and the probate administration attorney. Transfers outside of probate are generally less expensive and faster but must be planned in advance.
Protecting Your Family's Financial Security - When Litigation is Necessary
In addition to preparing estate plans, our attorneys have extensive experience handling probate and trust litigation matters. As a result of these experiences, we are very familiar with the problems that can develop with estate planning instruments. Accordingly, we know how to draft estate planning documents carefully to avoid many of these problems.
For a free initial consultation with a lawyer regarding asset protection through sophisticated estate planning, contact us.
