Many people avoid proper estate planning because they do not like thinking about death. Estate planning is generally defined as the process by which people develop a plan, to ensure that the assets they have worked to accumulate during their lifetime are protected and distributed to those they love. Without proper estate planning, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stands to receive a large portion of your assets. Fortunately, it's not too late to write the IRS out of your Will. We can help you implement a variety of advanced tax strategies to keep your assets out of the hands of the government. We handle a variety of estate planning matters and advise our clients how to gain the maximum benefit of all laws while at the same time carrying out the person's wishes.
The focus of our estate planning practice is to advise clients regarding basic principles of the complex federal estate tax law, to achieve their dispositive intent with minimum estate, gift and property tax consequences. Overall estate planning usually begins with the creation of a revocable family trust, wills, and durable powers of attorney for health care and financial management. Depending upon the client's need, we often establish other business entities.
Clients are counseled on the appropriate use of various available techniques, such as living trusts utilizing the unlimited marital deduction through the use of "Q-TIP" trusts and unified credit trusts, minimizing the adverse effects of the generation-skipping tax, reducing the taxable estate through lifetime gifts, family limited partnerships and other property transfers and "assets protection" mechanisms.
Related to estate planning is our probate practice and estate administration, which assists clients in dealing with the various property and tax problems that occur upon death, whether or not the deceased left a will. We help the survivors deal with the probate court when necessary and to avoid its jurisdiction when appropriate. This involvement encompasses obtaining court approval of complex sale transactions, preparing and participating in audits or estate tax returns and resolution of will contests and other disputes involving the estate. We also represent clients in other matters under the probate court's jurisdiction, including continuing court supervision of certain trusts.
Areas of practice include:
Asset Protection
Durable General Powers of Attorney
Estate Administration
Estate Tax Minimization
Family Limited Partnerships/LLC's
General Powers of Attorney
Gift Tax
Health Care Powers of Attorney
Limited Powers of Attorney
Probate
Revocable Living Trusts
Succession Planning
Wills
Please call (818) 991-6664 or email us now to make an appointment.
We are centrally located to represent clients throughout California, in Los Angeles County and Ventura County, including Camarillo, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Ojai, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino, Granada Hills, Malibu, Northridge, Reseda, San Fernando Valley, Sepulveda, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Van Nuys, West Hills, Woodland Hills.