The truth is that too many put off estate planning until it’s too late, believing it is a privilege reserved for the wealthy. At Von Rock Law, everyone should have an estate plan, and the time to take precautions for the future is now. Creating an estate plan can prevent financial difficulties when you pass away.
Families have suffered significant financial setbacks due to improper estate administration because they neglected to get legal advice when making their estate plans. A comprehensive estate plan will encompass everything, from health and financial planning to business and retirement planning.
At Von Rock Law, we are committed to helping residents in San Mateo, CA, protect their legacies and ensure that their loved ones are taken care of when they are no longer around.
Thanks to a hassle-free process and the advice of a trusted legal representative, you can enjoy complete peace of mind as you plan. To learn more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us!
Contrary to popular belief, estate planning doesn’t start and stop with a will. An estate lawyer will establish living trusts, create a strategy to lessen or prevent unnecessary estate taxes, and ensure your assets and life savings are protected from creditors.
Moreover, an estate planning professional can establish a power of attorney and advanced health care directives, making arrangements for someone to handle your affairs if you become mentally incapable or pass away.
When planning for the future, you can rest assured that you’ll have someone working in your best interests. Here’s what you can expect from us:
A deceased person’s assets are managed and distributed during a court-supervised process called probate, also known as estate administration. We will assist with the required paperwork and tax-related issues.
When a trust is established as part of an estate plan, trustees are named to manage the grantors’ estate after their passing. Having competent legal representation is crucial since trustees are in a position of trust with beneficiaries. We work closely with our clients at every step of the trust administration process to guarantee that trusts are handled appropriately.
In California, probate proceedings can be both time-consuming and expensive. The good news is that we can help you avoid probate. Talk to us today for expert legal advice!
In the event of a disagreement, a will contest may be necessary. This probate court proceeding frequently involves disputes over the will’s legality, the testator’s capacity, and the representative’s reliability.
Although we prefer to resolve disputes through negotiation, our firm is fully equipped to take these cases to court if necessary.
If you’re looking for a dependable legal advisor in San Mateo, CA, to assist you with your estate planning, you can turn to Von Rock Law. Before you make any commitments, you can schedule a free consultation to learn more about the process.
Whether you want to create a new estate plan or make changes to an existing one, we will ensure that your needs are met and that your legacy lives on.
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.