California Estate Planning Lawyers

The process of choosing an attorney is an important one and can be confusing. You simply want to know if you can trust me to handle your legal issue. You want to know if you’ll make a personal connection and not feel like another face in the crowd; whether I can meet you where you are and truly understand your needs. Some attorneys go directly from high school to college, on to law school, then into practice. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that; it’s been a successful route for more than a few. However, that overlooks the value of...

Lindsay Altamirano is passionate about assisting individuals and families plan for the future and life’s changes, supporting people through sensitive situations, and helping people navigate the law. Lindsay started her career practicing insurance defense litigation, but soon realized that she wanted to have a more direct and positive impact on individuals. After stepping away from insurance defense, Lindsay worked for a non-profit organization in Washington D.C. that advocated for women and girls with disabilities directly to different factions of the federal government and the various relevant bodies of the United Nations. Although this fulfilled Lindsay’s background in Peace Studies and International...

William Ha is a dedicated and passionate attorney and was born in Los Angeles, and raised in the South Bay. Background and Education William Ha's journey as a legal professional began with a strong commitment to serving the local community. He earned his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law in 2008. He has been licensed to practice in California the same year, and is also admitted the to state bar of New Mexico. Practice Areas William Ha is a seasoned attorney specializing in two crucial practice areas: Estate Planning and Bankruptcy. He is passionate about these areas of the law because they...

Daniel Sallus is a partner of Stone & Sallus, LLP focusing on business litigation, business and real estate transactions, estate planning, entity formations, and real estate litigation. Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Daniel obtained his B.S. in Management from the Eller School of Business and a minor in Spanish at the University of Arizona. Previously he worked at a large bank where he interacted with businesses and obtained a deeper understanding of their needs. While in college, Daniel started investing in real estate where he was able to manage and rent the property to pay for his undergraduate...

Ms. Macedo practices civil litigation, estate planning, provides general counsel services, and is a consultant working on policy issues. Her interests include supporting local municipalities, small businesses, and community nonprofits. She is also a career development coach focusing on women of color. Previously she was an Associate at a Central Valley plaintiff’s law firm working on catastrophic personal injury cases and an Equal Justice Works Legal Fellow focusing on providing free legal assistance to low-income communities in the Central Valley.

Samuel graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy where he also studied the Japanese language. He went on to teach English in Japan for three years, immersing himself in the culture and becoming fluent in the language. Samuel earned his J.D. at the University of California, Davis, School of Law where he received a merit-based scholarship and the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in the field of International Taxation. ?Samuel’s passion for estate planning has driven his career for the past decade. He has lectured at the California Society of CPA events on transfer tax issues. He...

Ms. Katje earned her Juris Doctorate at California Western School of Law, San Diego, California, graduated Cum Laude and was a Dean's Honor List recipient. She was also a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Contracts I and Contracts II. Ms. Katje was a member of the Law Review and International Law Journal at California Western School Law, where she was an Associate Editor.

Ms. Katje was admitted to the California State Bar in 2003 and is a Member of the American Bar Association and San Diego County Bar Association. Ms. Katje is licensed to practice in all courts in...

My legal practice focuses on elder law, estate planning and disability issues. My firm provides quality traditional legal services to all of our clients by listening to their special needs, understanding what is important to them, and delivering practical and realistic solutions that are designed to satisfy their specific goals. Because of our strong commitment to personal attention, compassion and professionalism, we often serve several generations within a family or different branches of the same family. We strive to build long lasting relationships with individuals, families and professional fiduciaries within our community, and are extremely proud of...

Attorney Amanda Johnson has an extensive background in law, graduating from Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, California. While attending law school she worked with the Orange County Rescue Mission providing legal services to members of society who might not otherwise have access to legal aid. She was also a member of Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, the Public Relations Director for the Student Bar Association, and she attended an International Human Rights Program in France. Before moving to California for law school, she attended the University of Wisconsin La Crosse where she obtained a Bachelors in Science and...

Rebecca Sommer is licensed with the California state bar and has been practicing law since 2015. She has numerous scholastic achievements, including ranking top 10% of her graduating law school class and earning several scholarships for extracurricular activities. Additionally, Rebecca has a Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University and participated in the tax honors program at Loyola Law School. She combines her general finance training with specialized legal knowledge to offer practical legal solutions for managing your assets. Work with Rebecca to create legal documents which encapsulate your wishes rather than relying on state systems and rules. You can avoid...

Aastha is the owner and founder of Madaan Law, P.C.. She focuses her practice in the areas of business law, franchise law, and estate planning. Aastha is a strong advocate of good planning, in life and in business. She takes the time to explain the legal process and answer any questions for potential clients. Prior to founding Madaan Law, Aastha worked with a boutique business law firm where she practiced business litigation and provided legal advice to small businesses. She learned the ins and outs of future planning for individuals and businesses, and uses her...

An eye for detail. Ms. Ho is a Partner at Core Law Group. She is that rare breed of individual that has the analytical skills and patience to find the most intricate details about her cases. Whether it’s an opposing party’s retirement plan or a motion the opposing attorney filed with the court, Ms. Ho is known for being able to spot the weakness in the other side’s case and taking the tactical steps necessary to take advantage of that weakness. Ms. Ho has extensive experience clients in both Federal and State courts. Her...

Stacey Montgomery has been an attorney in California since 1993. Stacey has worked in Criminal Law, Family Law, Personal Injury and Estate Planning. Stacey has worked both sides of the aisle as both a Public Defender and as a Prosecutor giving her a unique insight into the Criminal Justice System. Stacey was elected to serve the people of Lassen County as their District Attorney in 2014, recently finishing her full term.

Providing affordable and convenient legal services. After 20 years of experience in business administration, including dealing with contracts, employment law, real estate law and regulatory compliance, I became a lawyer and put my decades of experience to good use. I realize that many people who need legal advice also need to work during the week. I offer consultations on the weekends to be available to clients when it is convenient for them. Call me to set up a consultation, sometimes legal services are less expensive than you think. In addition to my office practice, I provide self help advice...

Attorney Drucker has been practicing law for over 35 years! He has developed a unique and revolutionary Flat Fee model for Divorce and Family Law. Clients can purchase services on his website www.LegalActionWorkshopLAW.com or can speak with him by phone or in our Glendale office. Attorney Drucker also handles Probate and Estate Planning documents such as Wills, Trusts & Powers of Attorney.

Stephen Grant focuses his practice exclusively in probate, trust and estate law – including estate planning and estate litigation. Stephen enjoys getting to know his clients and he prides himself on finding effective and efficient solutions for his clients’ needs. As a result, Stephen is a 5-Star Attorney on Yelp and a Client’s Choice winner on AVVO. In addition, Stephen has been selected to Super Lawyers® Rising Stars each of the last four years. Stephen has represented clients from across the country, he has administered probates in counties throughout California, and he continues to work with countless Southern California individuals and...

Listed as a SuperLawyer. Martindale-Hubbell Highest Rating AV Preeminent. Author of 110 articles in professional journals, chapters in professional treatises and books for professional societies. 43 years of practice in (i) ordinary income tax planning; (ii) reducing, deferring and eliminating capital gains taxes; (iii) eliminating estate taxes; (iv) planning for protection from future plaintiffs; and (v) potpourri of international tax, real estate tax, Tax Court, Probate Court, and estate planning.

Debbie Joe is a Founding Partner of Joe, Southard & Yeoh LLP with over 15 years of legal experience. She works tirelessly balancing an empathetic ear and an aggressive case handling approach on behalf of injured workers. She is well regarded in the legal community for her detailed case analysis and effective advocacy skills, which she uses to achieve favorable results time and time again for her clients.

A native of Southern California, Ms. Joe earned her B.A. degree in Communication Studies from University of California at Los Angeles in 1998 with high academic distinction. She earned her law degree in...

Jill focuses on estate and gift tax planning, probate and trust administration. She advises individuals on a broad variety of matters, including drafting living trusts, insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, children's trusts and defective grantor trusts; formation of partnerships and limited liability companies; and other transfer tax techniques.

Jill also represents trustees and executors in the administration of trusts and estates. She drafts pleadings for matters before the Probate Court and appears before the Probate Court.

In addition, Jill handles a variety of property tax matters, including appearances before the Assessment Appeals Board.

Andrew focuses on estate and gift tax planning, probate and trust administration. He advises individuals and business entities on a range of tax planning and estate planning matters, and he represents trustees and executors in the administration of trusts and estates.

In addition to his experiences in private practice, Andrew also brings several years of service in the Los Angeles Superior Court Probate Division as a law clerk for the Honorable Mitchell L. Beckloff, Honorable Reva G. Goetz, and Honorable Michael I. Levanas.

Lisa M. Burkdall provides sophisticated wealth transfer services for high net worth individuals and families. She specializes in multi-generational planning designed to preserve the client's values while achieving both tax and non-tax objectives. Adept at drafting complex, integrated estate plans, Lisa coordinates the disposition of assets through revocable trusts, life insurance trusts, customized beneficiary designations for retirement plans and lifetime gifting strategies, such as grantor retained annuity trusts and residence trusts. Her practice also includes the modification and reformation of irrevocable trusts to accommodate the beneficiaries' evolving needs and circumstances, while staying true to the trust creator's intent. Lisa enjoys...

Ann Michael has a broad background across estate planning, estate and trust administration and probate and trust litigation. She applies this knowledge to draft various estate planning documents, including, but not limited to, living trusts, gift trusts, GRATs, QPRTs, and life insurance trusts.

Ann is a member of Phi Delta Phi legal honors fraternity and is admitted to practice law in California, Oklahoma and Illinois (inactive).

Andrew Smith applies a broad background in litigation to resolve disputes involving trusts, estates, probate and conservatorships. He works closely with fiduciaries, beneficiaries and institutions, effectively guiding them through all stages of litigation, including discovery, mediation and trial. Andrew fervently protects the best of his clients, actively pursuing all avenues of resolution.

Before joining Weinstock Manion, Andrew began his career as an associate in the Litigation Department at Winston & Strawn LLP, where he represented corporations engaged in various types of complex commercial litigation, including trade secret, product liability, trademark and maritime disputes. He joined Weinstock Manion to specialize in estate...

Edlin Martin is a founding partner of MacKay & Martin, LLP. Her practice focuses on family law and estate planning. Prior to founding her own practice, Ms. Martin was a senior family law associate attorney, where she specialized in litigation of high-conflict family law issues such as domestic violence restraining orders, move-away cases, and child custody and visitation arrangements.

Ms. Martin has devoted much of her career to helping children and other victims of violence in family law and related immigration matters. Ms. Martin is particularly proud of her contribution to the drafting of California bill AB-1678, which was signed...

The law firm of John R. Ronge, Attorney at Law has been providing quality, personalized legal and professional guidance to individuals, estates, trusts and businesses across Los Angeles for over 25 years. The law firm's expertise ranges from income, income tax and accounting, to more in-depth services such as probate estate and planning. The Law Firm of John R. Ronge provides a wide range of legal, tax, and professional services to individuals, businesses in a variety of industries, trusts and estates across Los Angeles, Santa Monica and surrounding areas.

As an attorney, Mr. Lum has over fifty years of experience, specializing in all aspects of immigration applications and immigration litigation. His immigration application practice includes consultation and representation on applications for Immigrant Investor Visas (EB-5), PERM, Nonimmigrant Business Visas (E-2, L-1, H-1, B-1/B-2), and all forms of family based visa applications. Mr. Lum’s immigration litigation practice includes representation for Asylum, TPS, VAWA, and Cancellation of Removal.

Mr. Lum also provides personal representation to individuals, partnerships, and corporations regarding all business and corporate matters, trust, wills, and estates, and business litigation and real estate litigation matters.

Mr. Driskell focuses his practice on business, tax, estate, bankruptcy and related matters. He is a member of the Pasadena Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the California Bar Association. Prior to the formation of Primuth & Driskell, LLP with Partner Jonathan Primuth in 2014, Mr. Driskell worked at a multi-state law firm, handling a wide variety of matters for individuals and small and medium sized businesses. Mr. Driskell earned his juris doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he was president of the American Bar Association-Law School Division and was a member, officer...

A’ja began her career in the entertainment industry with TV Guide and Lions Gate but soon found her true passion in law. She joined a leading Los Angeles litigation firm, focusing on family law, civil rights, personal injury, and criminal defense. A’ja has been a compassionate advocate for fathers' rights and has represented high-profile clients, including the Estate of Michael Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, DMX, Keyshia Cole, Freddie Gibbs, Faith Evans, and Christopher Wallace Jr. (the late Notorious B.I.G.'s son). Her achievements include a $1 million wrongful termination verdict, multiple six-figure settlements, a not-guilty verdict in a murder trial, and successfully handling...

Ms. Minto has been a business and estates transactional attorney based in California since 2003. Her practice is now located in Tustin, CA but represents individuals and entities based throughout the United States and abroad. Her practice is unique in that she endeavors to represent clients globally by bridging the gap between trust planning/administration and business planning and management. She and other members of her firm have an ongoing relationship with growing or transitioning businesses all the way from weighing the best business entity structure and jurisdiction for each client, through business formation, to eventually structuring liquidation and dissolution of...

Kate is a California bar-certified attorney with more than seven years experience currently operating an eponymous law practice: The Law Offices of K. Kelso. Since graduating from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., Kate, an ocean-minded South Florida native, consciously endeavors to hone her talents as a communicator, connecting with clients from diverse backgrounds. Through targeted community outreach and dedication to volunteerism, Kate developed the philosophy on which K. Kelso Law is based: to provide comprehensive custom estate plans that are individualized and compassionate, to empower every client through wills, trusts, and estate planning as they contemplate and arrange their...

Darlynn graduated near the top of her law school class from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California in 1996. While at Loyola Law School, Darlynn was a member of the prestigious Loyola Law Review. After graduation, Darlynn served as a judicial law clerk to federal Judge John E. Ryan. She subsequently practiced at a premier business litigation firm in Orange County. Darlynn is an active member of Wealth Counsel, LLC, a national organization of trusts and estates attorneys who maintain the highest level of expertise through collaboration in estate planning. She is also active in the Orange County Bar Association. Darlynn...

Experienced attorney with office located in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego. In practice in San Diego County for 15 years. Appeared in Los Angeles County, Riverside County and Orange County courts. My practice is limited to those counties.

Experience in Estate Planning arose from the connection that exists between the two areas of law practiced in my firm. Divorce causes change in estate plans, wills, asset allocation, beneficiary and Powers of Attorney designations. The two areas of law naturally go together. And even if they do not in your case, we have the skill and experience to assist you with your specific...

Ms. Solomon began her legal career working at a mid-size law firm in downtown San Diego, where she had the opportunity to work as part of a sophisticated team of business lawyers. Ms. Solomon is a member of the Probate Attorneys of San Diego and currently serves on the Probate Handbook Committee. Passionate about efficiency in all things, Ms. Solomon co-founded Broaden Law LLP so she could combine her entrepreneurial spirit with the law business. Ms. Solomon is dedicated to identifying a variety of strategies based on the client’s situation and unique goals to ensure her clients are involved in the...

Giovanni A. Correa is an estate planning, probate, and trademark attorney with more than 10 years of legal experience, including 6+ years as a California licensed attorney. Giovanni has extensive experience in estate planning and trademark registrations. His passion for his profession is evident in his commitment to providing exceptional customer service while always keeping costs at the forefront.

Juanita Guillen-Mellman is a co-founding partner of Mellman & Mellman LLP, a law firm that has represented clients in various legal matters, including estate planning and probate, family law, real property, civil litigation and estate litigation. As an attorney licensed to practice in all California state and federal courts, Ms. Guillen-Mellman has gained extensive litigation experience by conducting and successfully arguing hundreds of motions, trials, and other hearings. Attorney Guillen-Mellman is well versed in what it takes to obtain results, both in and out of court. At Mellman & Mellman, LLP attorney Juanita Guillen-Mellman is an integral part of the...

Mr. Mellman provides clients with a full range of legal services including estate planning, estate litigation, family law, divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, civil litigation, business transactions, business law, intellectual property, real property, and asset protection. Mr. Mellman received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he graduated in the top four percent of his class with honors of Magna Cum Laude. While in law school, Mr. Mellman served as the Managing-Editor of the Thomas Jefferson Law Review...

Amir graduated from Loyola Law School in 2013 and received his Bachelors of Science at UC Irvine in 2009. During his tenure at Loyola Law School, Amir externed at various law firms to get real world legal experience and learned how to effectively represent clients. After graduating law school, Amir worked at a business litigation firm in Century City and was part of an integral team handling complex litigation disputes. After experiencing the litigation side, Amir decided to expand his legal experience and took up an opportunity to work at an estate planning and business law firm where he learned...

Rivka Israel, Esq. is an experienced and knowledgeable internationally licensed attorney who has been practicing law for over 20+ years. Attorney Israel is admitted to practice in: State of California U.S. District Court - Central District State of Israel Rivka was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2000. In June of 2009, after years of working for large law firms, Rivka opened her own law office and redirected her focus to self-help assistance, uncontested divorces, Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements, individual assistance and personal guidance in the area Family and LGBT Family Law issues. Rivka also provides document drafting services...

Omid John Afati started Afati Law Firm in 2019 with the goal of providing the Southern California community's estate planning and trust litigating needs. Mr. Afati directs his focus on addressing his clients' concerns and desires when planning for life’s unexpected twists and turns. His experience goes beyond trust and will formation, providing his clients with a secure and manageable estate as well as formidable litigation services.