Estate Planning and Probate Attorney in Merced, California
Keep Your Family Out of Probate Court
Most Central Valley families do not have a will or trust — and in California, that omission is expensive. Without a plan, even a modest estate with a family home can force your loved ones into probate: a public, court-supervised process that commonly takes a year or more and consumes a statutory percentage of the estate in fees. A properly funded living trust avoids nearly all of it.
Complete Estate Plans, Flat Fee
A complete plan from our office typically includes a revocable living trust, pour-over wills, durable powers of attorney for finances, advance health care directives, and the deed work to actually transfer your home into the trust — the step do-it-yourself plans most often miss. Flat-fee pricing is quoted up front. We also advise on the Proposition 19 parent-child rules that changed property tax planning in 2021.
Probate and Trust Administration
When a loved one passes without a plan — or with one that has to be administered — we guide executors, administrators, and trustees through Merced County probate: filing the petition, marshaling assets, handling creditor claims, and getting the estate closed and distributed. We also represent beneficiaries and heirs when an administration has gone wrong. Call (209) 600-4488. Se habla español.