Direct answers to the questions families ask most often before scheduling an initial consultation.
For most California families with real estate, investment accounts, or privacy goals, a revocable living trust is the better foundation. A will alone triggers probate — a public, court-supervised process that takes 12–18 months and costs 4–6% of the gross estate. The answer depends on your specific assets, family structure, and state. We determine this together in the initial consultation.
A complete plan typically includes a revocable living trust, pour-over will, durable financial power of attorney, advance health care directive, and HIPAA authorization. For clients with business interests, blended families, or significant assets, we add the structures that fit: irrevocable trusts, LLC operating agreement coordination, and coordination with your CPA and financial advisor.
We separate legal facts from private family context during intake. Information about estranged relatives, capacity concerns, prior marriages, and inheritance conflicts is shared only with the planning attorney — never the broader team. The portal reflects only what you authorize.
Only with your explicit authorization. The secure vault supports role-based access: you can grant a spouse full access, an adult child trustee-only document access, and a CPA view of the asset schedule without sharing the trust itself.
From first consultation to signed documents, most foundational plans take 4–8 weeks. More complex matters — multi-state property, business succession, irrevocable trusts — take longer. We provide a clear timeline and milestone list at the conclusion of the strategy meeting.
The planning team receives a structured brief that includes your family structure, asset categories, fiduciary preferences, and any urgency flags. The attorney reviews this before the call. You receive a confirmation with a brief overview of what to bring and what to expect.
Catherine personally reviews every intake and responds to specific planning questions in the consultation.