California Estate Planning Lawyers

Tamara Shari Benefield is a top-notch family law litigator for over 20 years handling high asset divorces, contested custody proceedings, as well as providing aggressive and compassionate representation for all things family law from child support and spousal support hearings as well as international and interstate child abduction cases. Ms. Benefield is a highly skilled cross examiner and exceptionally gifted trial attorney. She knows the rules and laws regarding evidence and knows how to successfully raise objections and keep out certain evidence. She is a former professor at West Los Angeles College of Law and taught Civil Procedure to prepare students...

A large portion of my practice is devoted to the division of retirement accounts requiring Qualified Domestic Relations Orders or QDRO’s. In this unique area of law, I can bring a sense of calm and order by reviewing and offering advice as to the division of most deferred compensation plans.

I bring a diverse background with plenty of life experience to the table for my clients. Before taking the plunge into law school and the practice of law, I worked in the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation, Kern County Employees’ Retirement Association (KCERA) and ran a successful termite...

T.L. Brown Law Firm was awarded an A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Filing over 300 cases each year, Attorney Tristan Brown remains a leading bankruptcy attorney in San Diego and the Southern California area. Additionally, T.L. Brown’s estate planning and immigration law practices continue to grow. Attorney Tristan Brown obtained his Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law and quickly earned recognition as a leader in bankruptcy law. He was awarded "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Adele graduated from Monterey College of Law with a Juris Doctor while raising two children with her husband, architect Jeff Schneidereit.

Ms. Schneidereit has founded Adele Schneidereit Law Offices and practices there as the Principal Attorney.

Before she became a lawyer, Adele worked in Silicon Valley as a software consultant at CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. Later Adele worked as part of a small team which designed the Online Medical Record System which is the charting system for inpatients used by the vast array of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and physicians.

Adele founded Inspire The World Foundation, which promotes awareness about...

Matthew focuses on elder law, estate planning, and related practice areas. He began his career in the field of trusts and estates, and expanded into elder and probate law. He quickly realized that he enjoyed the personal nature of working in estate and elder law, and chose to continue by opening his own firm. He is passionate about taking care of his clients, and treats each of them as if they were family. Matthew was admitted to the California bar in 2006 and has practiced law in Contra Costa Country since 2006. He earned his J.D. at...

Dustin MacFarlane is an estate planning and elder law attorney with a unique background which makes him uniquely qualified to serve his clients. Prior to entering practice as an attorney in Sacramento, Dustin began his career in the long-term care industry, working with skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout the Central Valley and Northern California. He takes pride in the work he does in helping families provide for and protect their loved ones. Outside of his work at the firm, Dustin also hosts a weekly show on Talk 650 KSTE and is actively involved with several community organizations.

Mitchell A. Port is an attorney in Los Angeles who represents individuals, families, and businesses offering services in probate, trust administration, estate planning and IRS tax controversies.

In addition to administering a decedent's estate as well as identifying and distributing assets to beneficiaries, Mitch also offers services for other issues that may require the attention of a probate court, including the following:

Lost wills

Will contests

The removal of executors and trustees

Petitions for probate

Trust administration

Probate litigation

Other legal matters that must go through the California
probate court, including conservatorships
(a court proceeding for incapacitated and incompetent adults)
and guardianships (a court proceeding for...

Nikki Semanchik is the Founding Attorney of Semanchik Law Group. Nikki started out her legal career advising small businesses and individuals in need of estate planning. An interest in international law and her background in immigration led her to represent multi-national high-net worth individuals with business law, asset protection and tax planning. After assisting clients with tax planning through the formation of private foundations and charitable trusts, Nikki found herself drawn to nonprofit law. She now assists nonprofit organizations with formation, compliance and governance.

Nikki is passionate about nonprofit law and enjoys speaking about nonprofit formation and compliance. Her most recent...

Attorney Robert Miller has a 10.0 Avvo rating, and has been designated a “Client’s Choice DUI Attorney.”

He was named by clients as a top Orange County DUI Lawyer on Yelp, receiving Yelp’s highest rating award, based on reviews.

Mr. Miller has 23 years practicing law in Orange County, including at other criminal defense and DUI firms and practices with his own firm.

Robert Miller has been the author or co-author of three books on DUI defense and has appeared on television and radio as a legal commentator.

He has successfully handled thousands of cases and has many positive...

MARIVEL M. ZIALCITA is the founder of MMZ LAW, A Professional Corporation, where she practices in the areas of Trust and Estate, Elder Law, VA Benefits, Special Needs, Conservatorship, Trust Administration and Probate. Ms. Zialcita is a frequent speaker on trust and estate matters and holds memberships in the State Bar of California, Trust and Estate Section, The San Bernardino County Bar Association, Wealth Counsel and Elder Counsel. She currently assists in the pro bono legal services program at the James L. Brulte Senior Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Ms. Zialcita received her B.A. degree from the University of California,...

Spiller Law is a business, estate planning and entertainment law firm located in San Francisco, California. Business: We serve small to medium-sized businesses in the areas of contracts, business planning, mergers and acquisitions, partnership agreements, corporate formation and dispute resolution. We have advised businesses in involved in aviation, finance, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, music, film, and television. Estate Planning: We work with individuals and couples to create simple to sophisticated estate plans, depending on their needs. Entertainment Law: We advise film/TV, new media, and music clients as to business planning, business formation, contract negotiation, and licensing

Mrs. Geiger’s practice is located in Carlsbad, California. Her practice focuses on Estate Planning, Asset Protection, Business Planning, Elder Law, Trust Administration, and Probate. She obtained her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law where she served as an Editor for the San Diego International Law Journal and published a law review article. She has also authored multiple books on Trusts, Elder Law and Business Law topics and is an active member of the North County San Diego Bar Association, the North County Estate Planning Council and is a member of the editorial committee for the...

I have been practicing estate and probate law since 1994. My practice is 100% focused on California probate court cases only. I pride myself on efficiency and answering my client's questions within minutes rather than days. I am a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. I have highest ratings on numerous websites including Martindale Hubbell "AV" rated, AVVO "10.0" rated, and am a "Superlawyer." I also am a past Sacramento Bee estate and probate "expert." I speak on estate and probate law to professional groups and have been quoted in numerous articles on the...

Konstantine "Kosta" Demiris is a partner at the law firm of Demiris & Moore, located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, in the center of Contra Costa County. His practice focuses on litigation involving elder abuse (financial and physical), will and trust litigation, conservatorships, guardianships, HOA's, and appeals. Kosta is actively involved in the Contra Costa County legal community. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Elder Law Section. He serves as court-appointed counsel in Conservatorship cases in Contra Costa County. Kosta is dedicated to helping...

R. Sam Price is an experienced and highly educated attorney who’s passionate about helping others. Sam’s exceptional talent is to make complicated legal jargon and court procedures, simple and easy for his clients to comprehend.

Sam is the managing attorney of the growing boutique law practice, Price Law Firm, APC, which focuses on probate, estate planning, trust administration, long-term care planning and litigation. He represents clients in probate matters and prosecutes and defends clients in probate and trust litigation. He made such an impression on an author client that she based a character of a probate attorney on him, in her...

MY PROMISE: My consultations are not on a time clock . . . I will personally review your case and any pleadings which you might bring. Having practiced law for more than 19 years in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles County and knowing the majority of the judges, I can give you an honest opinion of the expected results of your particular case. I give intensive attention to crucial details of all legal issues, so you can be sure that we will not miss anything.

CONSULTATION: ...

Elizabeth Yang has been practicing law since 2007 and specializes in Intellectual Property Law, including Patent, Copyright and Trademark Prosecution and Litigation; Business Law, including corporate entity formation, contract drafting, contract disputes, litigation; and Family Law, including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, and asset division. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Elizabeth was admitted to the United States Patent & Trademark office in 2007. At the age of 19, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley in two and a half years. In 2011, Elizabeth founded Yang & Wang, P.C., a boutique...

Zaher Fallahi, Attorney At Law, CPA, is a Tax Law Firm, licensed in California and Washington D.C. as Attorney and CPA. We practice as an Orange County Tax Attorney and Los Angeles Tax Attorney. We advise clients with undisclosed Foreign Accounts; the IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Foreign Gifts, Tax Audit Representation, Federal Tax Liens/Levies, Employment Taxes, Innocent Spouse Relief, Non-Filed Tax Returns, Offer-In-Compromise, Estate Planning and Probate. Zaher Fallahi testifies before the court as an expert witness on tax...

Mr. Yoo's practice focuses on tax and bankruptcy litigation. He has represented clients in both criminal and civil cases against the California Franchise Tax Board, State Board of Equalization and Employment Development Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He has handled matters including IRS and sales tax audits, tax fraud investigations, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) and innocent spouse claims. Mr. Yoo also represents debtors and creditors in Chapter 7, 11 & 13 bankruptcy proceedings, including tax bankruptcy cases.

I am a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Specialization. My focus is on estate planning, trust and estate administration, and trust and estate litigation. I help individuals and families who face serious legal situations, and I help bring them solutions and peace of mind. My goal is to help clients gain the peace of mind that comes with taking care of their families, to help clients navigate through the challenges of trust and estate administration, and to zealously represent clients in litigation to seek the...

Beti Tsai Bergman is the principal shareholder of the law firm, Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation. Her firm specializes in probate, trusts, estates, conservatorships, and financial elder abuse. Ms. Bergman has extensive experience in representing conservators, trustees, and executors, as well as, heirs and beneficiaries in uncontested and contested trust and estate matters. Before specializing in probate, Ms. Bergman was a Deputy City Attorney for City of Los Angeles and was a business litigator in private practice.
Ms. Bergman is certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization in estate planning, trust and probate law and has earned a...

Ruth Ryan-Cruz is an attorney in San Diego, California with Ryan-Cruz Law, APC. Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz practices in the areas of business and corporate law, intellectual property, estate planning, wills, trusts, copyrights, trademarks and more. Contact San Diego Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz for a consultation. Ruth is a fluent Spanish-speaking attorney providing counseling and transactional services in Spanish in the areas listed above. Ruth earned her Juris Doctor Degree from California Western School of Law and received a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in High Tech Management from California State...

Ben has been practicing Estate Planning, Probate, and Elder Law since 2005. Prior to that, he was the Operations Manager and In-House Counsel for Arbitration Works, Inc., a leading provider of construction industry alternative dispute resolution services working closely with the California Contractor’s State License Board. Ben has also taught 1st-year Contracts Law and Wills & Trusts. Ben is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, an Avionics Technician who served active duty during Operation Desert Storm. Honorably discharged as a Technical Sergeant, he was recognized several times for his excellent Mishap Prevention Program as the Squadron Safety NCO.

Versatile trial attorney offering a solid track record of litigation success and experience in various facets of the law. Motivated and articulate professional who thrives in courtroom settings, excels at client rapport, discovery and deposition. Exceptional skill in drafting, reviewing, and analyzing pleadings, motions, responses to summary judgments, opinions, briefs and other legal documents. Recognized as leading defense attorney in Southern California, particularly skilled at “connecting” with and building rapport with jurors, resulting in positive verdicts in vast majority of nearly 20 jury trials, and hundreds of misdemeanor cases. Reputation as a “no nonsense” attorney and aggressive litigator among the...

Roy Schneider's areas of practice include business planning, entity formation, mergers, acquisitions and sales of businesses, employment law, contracts, transactional matters of all kinds, real estate transactions, homeowners associations, non-profit law and estate planning. Business & Corporate Transactions Roy advises and represents companies and entrepreneurs with a broad range of business related services. He advises his clients on business law, start-up assistance related to the choice and formation of an entity, the protection of a trademark or license agreement and regularly assists with buying or selling a business. Roy prepares contracts of all types with the view...

Practice Areas
Will and Living Trust drafting and review
Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directives
Will and Trust Amendments and Updates
Estate, Gift, Income, and Property Tax planning Techniques for avoiding probate
Represent Executors and Administrators in Probate
Represent Trustee in Trust Administration
Advanced Estate Tax Planning: Irrevocable Trusts, Gifting Trusts, Grantor Retained Trusts (GRIT, GRAT, GRUT, QPRT), Life Insurance Trusts
Charitable Planning ? Charitable Trusts (CRAT, CRUT, CLT)

Education
University of San Diego School of Law ? Juris Doctorate in 1977
University of California, Irvine ? Bachelor of Arts in 1974
Personal Philosophy
Roberta helps families plan to transfer assets to the next generation while avoiding probate and miniming...

CPA AND TAX ATTORNEY ON YOUR SIDE Jayson Aquino "Atty Jay" can do both. There are some tax attorneys do not have an adequate background in accounting and lack the proficiency to thoroughly offer bookkeeping services. Alternately, certain certified public accountants (CPAs) may not be familiar with how to resolve a person’s unpaid back taxes, tax lien or tax levy. As a CPA and licensed tax attorney, Jayson has helped individuals and businesses throughout Huntington Beach and Orange County with a wide range of tax matters. Jayson takes pride in offering affordable rates. Many clients have found that his rates are competitive and even...

Armed with impressive qualifications from big law firms and an approachable demeanor you'd expect from a small firm, Owen uniquely bridges the often intertwining areas of Trusts, Estates, and Probates. Owen holds degrees in tax (LL.M.), law (J.D.), and business (M.B.A.), making him particularly well-equipped to guide you, whether you're crafting an estate plan for your loved ones or you're a trustee or beneficiary in need of expert counsel. At Opelon, we believe in more than just offering services - we're dedicated to building enduring relationships. With Owen, you'll find an attorney who is not just qualified but also approachable. We encourage...

My approach to practicing law is to make it as stress-free as possible for my clients. That means that I have created an environment where working with my firm is understandable, approachable and pleasant. I have been practicing law for approximately 15 years and my area of specialization is estate planning, which includes the drafting of wills, trusts and also handling probate matters. As mentioned previously, taking care of my clients is my top priority, and as such, I charge a flat fee for nearly all of the clients that I work with. We do not...

James practices in the areas of employment law for management, personal injury, estate planning, and real estate. James graduated from Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, where he graduated fifth in his class, With Great Distinction, and Order of the Coif. While at McGeorge, James completed a judicial externship with the Honorable Justice George Nicholson, at the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in Sacramento. ...

Tina has dissolved Gehres Law Group to focus on building a NFP organization, YesHope.org. She is no longer taking clients. Thank you for your patronage.

I am a Federal & State criminal trial lawyer. I do not handle anything beside criminal defense matters in Federal + State court. I cut my teeth as a prosecutor in the third largest city in the U.S., handling narcotics and major felony cases. I rose to the level of Chief Prosecutor and then I left and took that trial experience with me. I switched sides to become a defense lawyer to protect my clients' constitutional rights that get trampled everyday. Based out of New York City, I am the Managing Partner in both New York + Los Angeles...

I am a dedicated and skilled estate planning and tax law attorney with more than 40 years of experience. My firm delivers expert advice to clients in the Southern California area.

My areas of practice include estate planning, wills, probate, trusts, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and tax law.

Whatever your estate planning or tax issue is, I will work tirelessly and help you through every step of your case.

Mr. Kouretchian provides strategic counseling and customized legal service to individuals, families, entrepreneurs, estates and businesses. He specializes in the areas of Wills and Trusts and Corporate/Business Law (Formation, Governance, Finance).

L. Rob Werner is the founding attorney of The Werner Law Firm and is ranked as one of the most experienced lawyers in the state of California. He launched the Law Offices of L. Rob Werner in 1975 and since has built the company into an award-winning firm. He has repeatedly been recognized for his quality service to his clients and to the community. Some of the honors he has received include: Readers' Choice Award for Best Attorney from the Los Angeles Daily News; SCV Bar Association Attorney of the Year; Voted "Best Of" Santa Clarita Valley...

Principal Owner
Jack E. Stephens J.D., LL.M. has been practicing law in San Diego since 1990, helping thousands of taxpayers reduce taxes and homeowners protect their property with Trust strategies. Jack Stephens has been designated as Top Lawyer by San Diego Magazine, Best of the Bar, and Avvo on a consistent basis. He has received annual awards including the AV Preeminent Attorney Rating by Martindell-Hubbell, representing the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. As an active contributor to continuing education in Estate Planning, Jack Stephens has authored and edited quarterly newsletters, pamphlets, and contributed articles to the...