Protect your loved ones, preserve your legacy, and gain peace of mind with a complete estate plan tailored to your family's needs.
Schedule a Planning SessionThe cornerstone of your estate plan — avoid probate, maintain privacy, and retain full control during your lifetime.
In California, probate can take 12-18 months and cost your family 4-7% of your estate's value. A revocable living trust allows your assets to pass directly to your beneficiaries without court involvement, keeping your family's affairs private and your wishes in effect immediately.
Unlike a will, a living trust avoids probate entirely. Your family gets immediate access to assets, avoids court fees, and keeps your estate completely private.
A safety net that catches any assets not transferred into your trust during your lifetime.
Even with a comprehensive trust, some assets may not be titled in the trust's name at the time of death. A pour-over will directs those assets into your trust, ensuring everything is distributed according to your wishes. It acts as a backup to your living trust.
A pour-over will ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Any assets inadvertently left out of your trust are still directed according to your plan.
Ensure your financial affairs are managed by someone you trust if you become unable to manage them yourself.
Without a durable power of attorney, your family may need to go to court to get authority to pay your bills, manage your investments, or handle your business affairs if you become incapacitated. A properly drafted power of attorney avoids that costly and time-consuming process.
Your chosen agent can immediately step in to manage your financial affairs — paying bills, managing investments, and handling business matters — without court intervention.
Make your medical wishes known and designate someone to advocate for you when you can't speak for yourself.
An advance health care directive combines a living will with a healthcare power of attorney. It documents your treatment preferences, end-of-life wishes, and names the person you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf. Without one, your family may face agonizing decisions without guidance.
Your family will never have to guess what you would have wanted. Your wishes are documented, legally binding, and clearly communicated.
Allow your trusted family members and agents to access your medical information when they need it most.
Federal privacy laws (HIPAA) prevent healthcare providers from sharing your medical information — even with your spouse or adult children — without written authorization. During a medical emergency, this can prevent your family from getting the information they need to make informed decisions.
Your designated family members can communicate freely with your doctors and access your medical records without delays or red tape.
Choose who will raise your children if something happens to you — don't leave it to a judge.
If both parents die or become incapacitated without a guardian nomination, a court will decide who raises your children. The judge may not choose who you would have chosen. A guardian nomination ensures your children are cared for by people you know and trust.
You decide who raises your children — not a judge. And with your trust provisions, you ensure they're financially supported according to your wishes.
The most important step most people skip — re-titling your assets into your trust so it actually works.
A trust only controls assets that are titled in the trust's name. An unfunded trust is like a safe with nothing in it. Many attorneys draft a trust but leave clients to figure out funding on their own. We walk you through every step.
We don't just hand you documents and wish you luck. We guide you through funding your trust so your plan actually works when your family needs it.
Distribute your non-titled personal belongings — jewelry, art, family heirlooms, collections — without amending your trust.
California law allows you to create a written memorandum that assigns specific personal property items to specific people. This document can be updated at any time without legal fees, and your trust references it so it carries legal weight.
Update who gets your personal belongings anytime you want — no attorney visit needed. Just fill out the form, sign, and date it.
In California, if you own real estate or have assets exceeding $184,500, a trust is strongly recommended. Without a trust, your estate goes through probate — a public, court-supervised process that typically takes 12-18 months and costs 4-7% of your estate's value. A trust avoids all of that.
Most comprehensive estate plans are completed within a few weeks from our initial meeting. We'll gather your information, draft your documents, review them with you in detail, and then execute (sign) everything in a signing ceremony. Trust funding guidance continues after signing to ensure everything is properly titled.
The Peace of Mind Planning Session is a 1-hour legal and tax planning session with attorney Jim Blair via web conference. You'll share your goals and objectives for protecting your family and assets, Jim will explain your options and our estate planning packages with flat fee pricing, and if we're a good fit, we'll discuss next steps. If married, both spouses must attend. You'll complete a brief online questionnaire before the session. The $475 session fee is currently waived for meetings booked before the end of February 2026.
We recommend reviewing your estate plan every 3-5 years or whenever you experience a major life event: marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary or trustee, significant change in assets, or a move to a different state. We make updates straightforward and affordable.
Trust funding is the process of re-titling your assets (home, bank accounts, investments) into the name of your trust. Without funding, your trust is essentially an empty container — your assets would still go through probate. Many attorneys skip this step. We don't. We guide you through every transfer.
While we're based in Pleasant Hill and focus on serving East Bay and Contra Costa County families, we can work with clients throughout California. Our deep local connections are a strength for East Bay clients, but our estate planning expertise applies across the state.
Schedule your Peace of Mind Planning Session and take the first step toward securing your family's future.
Schedule a Planning Session$475 session fee waived for meetings booked before the end of February 2026.
Or call us at 925-639-5924