Many people shy away from discussing what will happen to their assets after they pass on, but we must all face this reality of life. In the hands of a good probate attorney, this discussion does not have to be grim but rather an opportunity to ensure your loved ones are well taken care of after you are gone.
If you are in Oakland, CA, help from a qualified, trustworthy, and reliable probate attorney is just one call away. Von Rock Law is available to assist with all your probate law queries.
A probate attorney is the one left in charge of settling the deceased’s affairs by paying off any debts or liens to the estate and distributing the remaining assets among those beneficiaries named in the will.
With so much power and authority entrusted to them, probate lawyers need to be, above all else, trustworthy in all their dealings so that the deceased can rest assured that whatever they want will be done accordingly.
Five Things Your Probate Lawyer Can Help With
Rather than spend what could quickly end up being a significant chunk of the estate in paying probate court fees, hiring a probate attorney is a cheaper and more efficient way of handling things.
The last thing grieving families need is to be dragged to court day after day to settle the estate of their loved one. It is much kinder to leave everything in the hands of a compassionate lawyer who knows how to deal with clients going through such a time.
Many people worry that their wishes will not be respected after they die. However, a probate lawyer will continue to represent you faithfully long after you are gone giving you the peace of mind that your assets will benefit those closest to you.
There is no privacy in open court, and when a probate judge settles matters, some sensitive family matters could become public knowledge. However, the good thing about a probate attorney is that the estate will be distributed privately and as efficiently as possible.
You can never predict how long a probate court can take to settle matters regarding the deceased’s estate. Considering that this is a painful process for your family that should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely, taking the shortest route possible through a probate attorney is the best thing to do.
Help is always available for those you leave behind as long as you make the right decision today. Save your family from unnecessary pain by hiring Von Rock Law right now to handle your probate issues. Call them today and schedule a free consultation.
In short, yes. Death is unavoidable. An estate plan protects not only your family and assets, but will also give you peace of mind that your assets will be properly managed when you are gone.
An estate plan created by Von Rock Law is a solution to protecting and preserving your estate in the case that you die or become incapacitated. It contains the following legal documents:
A legal document that places some or all of your assets in the control of a trust during your lifetime
A legal declaration of a person’s wishes regarding the disposal of their property or estate after death
A durable power of attorney refers to a power of attorney which typically remains in effect until the death of the principal or until the document is revoked. A durable power of attorney, the durability of which must be explicitly stated, remains valid even in the event the principal is unable to make personal decisions due to incapacity.
A legal document that explains how you want medical decisions about you to be made if you cannot make the decisions yourself. An advance directive lets your health care team and loved ones know what kind of health care you want, or who you want to make decisions for you when you can’t.
An estate plan not only ensures your family and assets are protected in the case you die or become incapacitated, but it also helps your estate avoid being subjected to probate, a long and costly process.
Our Custom Estate Plan is a comprehensive trust-based estate plan which is appropriate for most estates including those with minor children or other minor beneficiaries, for those requiring protections for beneficiaries and for blended families. This estate plan works toward eliminating probate court proceedings, appointing successors to manage the Trust after your death, and directs the distribution of your assets.
One 30 minute consultation meeting by telephone, video conference or in person
Revocable Living Trust
Certification of Living Trust
Last Will & Testament **
Durable Power of Attorney **
Advanced Health Care Directive **
Authorization of Release of Medical Records (“HIPAA”) **
Assignment of Personal Property **
Personal Property Memorandum **
Trust Transfer Deed (one property)
Recording Deed with county recorder
One opportunity to request edits to above documents with respect to client-provided information
Recording fees included
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report
Final signing meeting
Complete instructions regarding plan
Notary fees included
Personalized estate planning binder with all original documents
Digital PDF copies of your entire plan
Additional Deeds with ancillary documents and recording fees begin at $1000 for California properties and for out of state US properties, subject to confirmation of non-California recording fees.
Up to five hours with our staff for emails, phone calls, zooms or in person meetings to address your questions regarding the maintenance of your estate plan, funding, coordination with agents, potential amendments, family meetings or other ongoing trust maintenance concerns.
A 5% discount on billable matters for which you may further retain us, such as drafting additional plan documents and amendments, or for another practice area.
Deluxe custom estate plans are appropriate for individuals with substantial assets and sophisticated planning needs, and who require estate tax planning features for estates exceeding the estate tax threshold of $12,060,000 for individuals or $24,120,000 in community property for married couples. These plans include all of the offerings of the Custom Estate plan, but will also address such circumstances such as complicated blended families, citizenship issues, multiple real estate holdings, multiple beneficiary designations, integrated special needs trusts, or otherwise more sophisticated distribution plans.
We are offer a college care plan that will allow parents to still be able to act for their 18+ children for medical, financial and legal purposes, and to distribute the child’s assets should the child pre-decease the parent. This plan includes a Durable Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive, HIPAA and Simple Will which identifies not more than two beneficiaries with outright inheritance. Further, this plan includes a generic FERPA Consent Form that will authorize parents to communicate with a college regarding the student’s classes, transcripts, grades and more. Many educational institutions will have their own forms for this Consent which may be required, but if not, our standard form should be accepted.
This plan includes a 30 minute consultation and the cost of online notary fees arranged by this office. Digital and paper copies of the plan documents will be provided.
Estate Plan revisions are provided on an hourly basis and estimates of the projected cost are provided to the client before work commences. Simple revisions to Estate Plans are often in the 2 – 3 hour range, with more complex revisions taking longer, bearing in mind that each circumstance is unique.
PLEASE NOTE – We will not amend plans that we did not draft. We will prepare re-statements of Trusts and new documents for planning documents we did not generate.