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Estate Planning – Wills, & Trusts

Gain Peace of Mind

Did you know that the State of California already has an estate plan for anyone who fails to prepare or update one for themselves… and it doesn’t protect you or your loved ones in the way you would want?

It is essential that you feel confident and sure about the estate plan you have in place and we can help!

Imagine the peace of mind you will have when your estate plan (Will and Trust) is completed and your assets and family are protected and safe.

  • Ensure your minor children will never be placed in the care of strangers during a sudden emergency or serious illness
  • Avoid a long and expensive court process (known as probate) that would cost your loved ones’ tens of thousands of dollars
  • Protect your family members’ inheritances from creditors, predators, future marriages, and lawsuits
  • Make your medical wishes known and ensure they are followed
  • Leave behind far more than just money

GOOD PARENTS WORRY. GREAT PARENTS PLAN.

We help you set up a trust-based estate plan to protect your family from the time, hassle, and cost of probate court.

Trust Attorney 

Wills tend to always dominate the estate planning conversation. It is quite a shame since there are so many estate planning tools that you can use to create a plan that is best for you. Let’s focus on trusts. A probate lawyer will admit that the probate process can be unnecessarily long and drawn out. Especially in California, the Probate Court is likely inundated with substantial estates.

Dealing with probate court fees, probate litigation, and family members popping out of the woodwork is a lot for an executor to contend with. Trusts are flexible tools that allow you to decide when someone will benefit from your estate. Protect your family from the dramatics of the probate process where you can. Speak to a trust attorney at the Meier Law Firm about our estate planning services at a planning session.

Trusted Estate Planning Attorney in California

You are sure to benefit from our firm’s estate planning services. We are keen on ways to avoid probate by choosing to go through the trust administration process instead. An estate planning professional will tell you that creating trusts can save costs and time and avoid creditors. Families often see the benefit of taking this route in the long run.

Short term, you will benefit from having a wide range of trust options:

  • If you have a family member or child that requires lifelong care, ask us about a special needs trust.
  • Consider a living trust if you want to shield assets from a creditor.
  • A spendthrift trust is ideal for a child who still needs to display financial prudence.
  • If you want information on a trust for an elderly family member, feel free to contact an elder law attorney at our firm.
  • An asset protection trust is an efficient way to protect assets from the clutches of a lawsuit.
  • You have many more options, and we are here to assist you in covering all your bases.

Contact a Trust Attorney And Minimize The Probate Process

Estate Planning – Wills & Trusts

Gain Peace Of Mind

  • Ensure your minor children will never be placed in the care of strangers during a sudden emergency or severe illness
  • Avoid a long and expensive court process (known as probate) that would cost your loved ones tens of thousands of dollars
  • Protect your family members’ inheritances from creditors, predators, future marriages, and lawsuits
  • Make your medical wishes known and ensure they are followed
  • Leave behind far more than just money

Did you know that the State of California already has an estate plan for anyone who fails to prepare or update one for themselves—and it doesn’t protect you or your loved ones in the way you would want?

You must feel confident and sure about the estate plan you have in place, and we can help!

Imagine the peace of mind you will have when your estate plan (Will and Trust) is completed, and your assets and family are protected and safe. A trust attorney at the Meier Law Firm is ready to help to create an estate plan best suited for your needs.

CALL US TODAY 

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Newport Beach Estate Planning Attorneys

Serving Clients Throughout California

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON APPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE.

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How Can We Help?

Here are some of the main ways we help our clients. Not sure where to start? Book your planning session.

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Take Control of Your Family’s Future

In Good Parents Worry, Great Parents Plan, estate planning attorney and mother Laura Meier shows you the legal and practical steps you must take to protect your children from temporary foster care, courtrooms, loss of inheritance, and other turmoil most kids experience when their parents pass away.

“Laura Meier’s The Family Nest Egg gives parents the tools they need to find confidence, stop worrying, and secure the financial future for their loved ones. Laura’s real-life stories and actionable advice make this read a trustworthy resource for budgeting, investing, and preparing for a financial crisis.”

Barbara Corcoran,

Founder of The Corcoran Group and Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

Meier Firm Languages At Meier Law Firm, we are proud of our diverse and inclusive team. Members of our firm speak English, Spanish, Arabic, German, Mandarin Chinese, and French, enabling us to serve a wide range of clients and address their legal needs effectively.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are handwritten wills legal in California?

California permits handwritten wills, also called holographic wills. You do not even need a witness to sign your holographic will. However, it’s not the best idea to handwrite your will. It’s best to create a formal, printed will signed by two witnesses. It is challenging to prove the validity of a handwritten will after someone has passed. Additionally, none of your potential heirs can claim you were not of sound mind or under someone else’s influence when you create a formal will.

What cannot be included in a will?

The most significant limitation for property included in a will is shared property or property that does not belong to you. You can only leave property that you fully own to your beneficiaries. Additionally, you cannot leave shared property to your heirs. For example, if you own a home or business with someone, your partner will typically receive the asset because of their right to survivorship. You cannot leave the property to someone else in your will.

Do I need an attorney to write my will?

You can write your will without an Orange County will attorney, but it’s not generally in your best interest. Lawyers have specialized knowledge that ensures they draft proper legal documents, including wills. If you choose to write your will without the help of an experienced attorney, you risk your heirs fighting over your assets and potentially finding a loophole in the document to contest your will.

Why would a person want to set up a trust?

People choose to set up a trust for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, they will set up a trust to help probate, decrease estate taxes, and get assets in the hands of their beneficiaries sooner after their death. Setting up a trust can make life easier for your beneficiaries, especially if you have considerable assets to consider.

You might also want to set up a trust to:

  • Help protect assets from creditors
  • Experience tax advantages, including decreased inheritance taxes or gift taxes
  • Increase privacy
  • Control your assets to go precisely where you intend after your death

What are the disadvantages of a trust?

A trust does have some disadvantages, which you should carefully consider before creating a trust:

  • An irrevocable trust can take away control of your assets from you, which could pose a problem if you need them later. (Ask us about revocable trusts.)
  • Trust-related costs may be higher in the initial planning stages. You may have to pay for legal services, manage property registration and title transfers, and take care of any filing fees. You may also have to pay a fee to the trustee, or the person that manages the trust.
  • You may need to keep more careful records of asset transfers in and out of a trust, which can prove very complicated, especially in cases that involve considerable property.

An Orange County trust lawyer can help go over the potential disadvantages ahead of time, which may help you make a decision that better fits your needs.

Do I need an attorney to set up a trust?

While you do not legally have to have an attorney to set up a trust, most people find that hiring a lawyer is very advantageous. A lawyer can help ensure that your trust is set up correctly and in accordance with your wishes, avoiding potentially high costs and unintended consequences later.

Newport Beach Estate Planning Attorneys

Serving Clients Throughout California

Virtual and in-person appointments available.