Estate Planning Attorney

Trusted Counsel for Your Estate Planning Needs

Estate planning is the process of creating a plan for how you wish your property to be distributed upon your passing, as well as how assets are handled during your incapacity. It involves creating a series of legal documents that will help ensure your assets are properly managed if you are incapacitated or pass away, and ultimately transferred to your chosen beneficiaries. Importantly, the unexpected can happen at any time and it’s never too soon to take measures to protect your financial interests and safeguard your legacy. A comprehensive estate plan not only includes documents that will carry out your wishes when you pass away, but also in the event you become incapacitated and cannot handle your own affairs.

The knowledgeable estate planning attorneys at White and Bright, LLP have extensive experience assisting clients with all aspects of estate planning. We work closely with our clients to fully understand their family circumstances and create individualized estate plans that meet their needs. Our clients know they can count on us to achieve their objectives regarding wealth preservation, financial privacy, and the orderly management of their estates.

Helping You Achieve Your Estate Planning Goals

A well-thought out and carefully drafted estate plan can be essential to financially protect your loved ones upon your passing. However, it’s important to understand that it can encompass so much more than simply a will. While your last will and testament may serve as the foundation of your estate plan, there are a number of tools that can be used to serve your interests and provide for your beneficiaries.

A White and Bright estate planning attorney can help you develop a comprehensive estate plan that includes the following documents:

  • Last will and testament — A last will and testament can specify your wishes regarding how your property and assets will be distributed upon your passing. However, simply having a will in place does not avoid probate.
  • Revocable living trusts — A revocable living trust is a flexible estate planning tool that can allow you to retain control over the assets during your lifetime while providing planning for your incapacity and death and avoiding the necessity of going to Court.
  • Irrevocable trusts — There are many types of irrevocable trusts that can be used to safeguard your assets, minimize estate taxes, and avoid probate.
  • Advance health care directive — An advance health care directive is a legal document that provides instructions concerning the medical care you want to receive if you are unable to communicate your wishes.
  • Durable power of attorney for finances — This document gives authority to someone else to manage your financial affairs in the event you become incapacitated and cannot handle them on your own.
  • Beneficiary designations — Beneficiary designations can be used on life insurance policies, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and other financial accounts to transfer assets directly to a beneficiary upon your passing.

No two families are alike and every estate plan should be specifically tailored based on your individual circumstances. At White and Bright, we assist our clients with all aspects of creating an estate plan and listen carefully to their objectives. Whether you seek to avoid probate, preserve your assets, promote family harmony, or minimize estate taxes, our attorneys provide trusted counsel and knowledgeable representation to help you achieve your goals.

Estate Planning for Business Owners

Business owners have special considerations when it comes to estate planning. After spending years or even decades building your business, it may be the most significant asset you have — and one of your biggest concerns might be continuing its operations after your passing. It’s critical to take every measure possible to safeguard your business from risk and preserve your company’s assets for the next generation.

Whether you are a sole proprietor and wish to transfer your business to your children or you have business partners who will take over when you pass, implementing a buy-sell agreement can be a crucial component of your estate plan. A buy-sell agreement can ensure your family remains in control of the business or ownership will go to the person you choose. In addition to becoming effective at the time of death, the terms of this agreement can also be triggered in the event of your incapacity.

At White and Bright, our estate planning attorneys work closely with our firm’s corporate attorneys to include your business interests in a comprehensive estate plan. We also provide advice and strategies on how to prepare for worst case scenarios, such as in cases where the validity of an estate planning document might be challenged. Each estate planning attorney on our legal team draws on their related experience in trust and estate litigation to ensure that we help you create a solid estate plan that is well-tailored to suit your needs.

Contact an Experienced California Estate Planning Attorney

If you’re thinking about estate planning, it’s vital to have a knowledgeable estate planning attorney by your side to guide you through the process. At White and Bright, LLP, we are committed to working closely with our clients to create tailored estate plans that will provide them with peace of mind that their future wishes will be carried out. We welcome you to contact us online or call us at (760) 747-3200 to learn more about our legal services.