Clear, personalized estate plans designed to protect your loved ones and give you peace of mind.
We focus exclusively on estate planning, trust administration, and estate plan reviews. No distractions. No surprises. Just thoughtful legal guidance tailored to your family.
Estate planning is not one-size-fits-all. We help you create a plan that reflects your life, your family, and your goals, both now and in the future.
Estate planning is about deciding who will handle your finances and healthcare decisions if you can’t. It also involves planning how you will distribute your assets to your loved ones upon your passing. Estate Planning is essential for everyone. So essential in fact that the government creates a plan for you if you don't.
One of our key areas of expertise is planning for the well-being and care of the children you love, from newborns through the age of majority and into adulthood, if your child has special needs.
We recognize the pain of losing someone dear and offer our heartfelt condolences. Handling the technical details of trust administration during this difficult period can be daunting, and we're here to help.
When it comes to estate planning, experience and focus matter.
We do not treat estate planning as a side service. It is our entire practice.
Stephen is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law, a designation held by only 0.6% of attorneys. Our clients appreciate not just our credentials, but our approach. We are accessible, transparent, and committed to making the process straightforward and stress-free.
We believe estate planning should be clear, fair, and human.
Our mission is simple: treat every client the way we would want to be treated.
That means honest advice, transparent pricing, and a process that respects your time and concerns. We aim to remove confusion, not add to it.
Stephen is a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. To earn the designation of a Certified Specialist, Stephen passed a second bar exam and was favorably recommended by his peers as an expert in his legal field. Only .6% of attorneys in California are Certified Specialists in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law.
For over a decade, Stephen has prepared more than a thousand estate plans and administered countless trusts. Through his experience, he has gained valuable insight into crafting a top-notch estate plan that avoids common pitfalls. Stephen doesn’t view estate planning as a transaction, but a relationship. Clients appreciate his clear explanations of the law, his guidance, and his availability to his clients even after their estate plan is signed.
He received his J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai`i where he graduated near the top of his class. He completed his undergraduate education in French Studies and Anthropology at Brigham Young University. Stephen is fluent in French.
He loves spending his free time with his wife and three kids and enjoys surfing, backpacking, and anything else that gets him outdoors. He is also very active in his community and church. Stephen also has a YouTube channel where you can learn more about estate planning in California.
We guide you step by step through the estate planning process, making it clear, simple, and tailored to your needs.
You will receive a questionnaire to fill out and bring to your complimentary hour-long consultation. This questionnaire will ensure that the time spent during your consultation is most effective.
We will go over the fundamentals of estate planning with you and design a customized estate plan based on your family, assets, and long-term wishes.
We walk you through every detail and make sure everything is clear before finalizing.
Stephen will go over all of your documents with you at the
signing and your documents will be notarized.
Our clients value clarity, responsiveness, and trust. We strive to deliver exceptional service to every client.
We offer in person and virtual consultations
Practical guidance and updates to help you make informed decisions about estate planning, trusts, and protecting your family’s future.
Happy New Year! As we turn the page on another year, many of us think about health goals, financial goals, and ways to make this year better than the last. But one resolution that is often overlooked, yet one of
Recently, a remarkable story highlighted just how valuable a long-forgotten item can become and why it matters that loved ones know what you own. In 2024, three brothers cleaning out their late mother’s house discovered a dusty cardboard box in
When it comes to estate planning in California, most people understand the importance of having a living trust. A living trust is the heart of your estate plan, but it does not control retirement accounts, life insurance, and annuities. These
Estate planning is about deciding who will handle your finances and healthcare decisions if you can’t. It also involves planning how you will distribute your assets to your loved ones upon your passing. Estate Planning is essential for everyone. So essential in fact that the government creates a plan for you if you don’t.
The government’s plan has numerous drawbacks, including court involvement, substantial legal fees, potential taxes, and leaving you and your loved ones vulnerable to financial predators and creditors. The amount of time, stress, and money that you can save by setting up an Estate Plan is crystal clear. The most common hurdle to Estate Planning, though, is procrastination. Most people know they need to do it, but don’t know where or how to start.
The good news – we make the process easy so you can finally take this load of bricks off your back. Just call to schedule a complimentary consultation with Stephen. When you draft your Estate Plan with us, you can:
– Ensure the ones you care about most are taken care of in the event of your death or incapacity.
– Protect the assets you pass on to your heirs from divorce, creditors, and financial predators.
– Appoint who can make financial and health care decisions on your behalf if you can’t.
– Save your estate tens of thousands of dollars in probate costs.
– Avoid paying a large amount of unnecessary taxes.
– The list goes on and on…
One of our key areas of expertise is planning for the well-being and care of the children you love, from newborns through the age of majority and into adulthood, if your child has special needs.
If you have a child or other loved one with special needs, you know firsthand the hard work that goes into making sure they are well cared for and receive all the opportunities they need to succeed in life.
A Special Needs Trust is a powerful tool that ensures your loved one is cared for after you are gone and that they continue to receive government benefits. Stephen has given numerous presentations to various special needs advocacy groups on special needs trusts and has helped countless families set up a special needs trust for their loved one.
We recognize the pain of losing someone dear and offer our heartfelt condolences. Handling the technical details of trust administration during this difficult period can be daunting, and we’re here to help.
When someone dies, whether they have a trust or not, there is work to be done. If there is a trust, we will advise the Trustee on their legal duties and support them throughout the process. If someone dies without a trust, a probate will likely be needed if the estate has real property or is valued at more than $208,850. For smaller estates, there is an easier process to transfer assets to heirs. Regardless of your situation, if a loved one has died, we are here to help.
