Dependable Estate Planning and Probate Counsel

For comprehensive client service with wills, trusts, asset protection and California probate, contact an experienced estate planning attorney at Bradshaw & Associates in San Francisco. Our law firm advises individuals, families and small business owners about all aspects of planning for your future.

Everyone stands to benefit from the basic estate planning tools

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your family is to put the four basic estate planning instruments in place: first, a last will and testament to make sure that your assets are distributed according to your intentions rather than the default provisions of the California Probate Code.

Next, you should have health care and durable powers of attorney in place to authorize trusted individuals to make medical and financial decisions for you if an incapacitating accident or illness renders you unable to manage your own affairs. These instruments can also avoid the need for conservatorship proceedings.

Finally, an advance directive to physicians can specify the circumstances under which you would want life support to be terminated. Together, these four estate planning instruments by themselves can accomplish a lot to avoid uncertainty and provide security under extreme circumstances.

Most families have unique estate planning needs that trusts can address

When you have reached the point that your personal and family needs for the future have come into focus, it's a good time to consider the problems that could use attention: Is your health care secure through an extended old age? Will you qualify for Medicaid? Do you know who is best suited to run your business when you can't? Are there children or grandchildren who won't be able to handle a substantial inheritance? What about estate tax liability?

Trusts are a highly flexible way of taking specific steps to address specific problems ranging from protecting your eligibility for Medicaid to minimizing or deferring taxes. We work closely with our estate planning clients to find the solutions that will work best in each unique situation.

Each trust instrument is designed to address a particular estate planning objective. A few of the better known options are the following:

• Irrevocable life insurance trust
• Generation skipping trusts
• Special needs or spendthrift trusts
• Credit shelter trusts
• Qualified personal residence trusts
• Charitable trusts

We also handle trust and estate administration and probate litigation

Our understanding of California probate law and federal tax policy also allows us to serve capably across the spectrum of trust and estate administration needs. As seasoned trial lawyers, we can also represent our clients in probate litigation on matters ranging from will contests to breach of fiduciary duty claims against an executor or trustee.

To learn more about the scope of our estate planning and probate practice, contact an attorney at Bradshaw & Associates in San Francisco.