Estate Planning

Imagine the Peace of Mind Knowing Your Loved Ones Are Protected, No Matter What.

Protect Your Loved Ones: Ensure their financial well-being and future security.

Control Your Assets: Decide exactly who receives what, when, and how.

Minimize Taxes & Preserve Your Wealth: Strategically plan to reduce estate taxes and maximize your legacy.

Choose Who Will Care for Your Children: Appoint trusted guardians for your minor children.

Avoid Costly & Stressful Family Disputes: Create clarity and prevent potential legal battles.

What’s Your Biggest Concern for Your Family’s Future?

Are you worried about what will happen to your children if something happens to you? Do you want to ensure your hard-earned assets are passed down according to your wishes? Are you concerned about the potential for family conflict or unnecessary taxes eroding your legacy?

At Burrey Law Group, Inc. (formerly Business Estate & Tax Attorneys, P.C.), we understand these concerns deeply. Estate planning isn’t just about legal documents; it’s about your love for your family and your desire to protect their future.

Your Partner in Creating a Secure Future.

Our experienced California estate planning attorneys go beyond simply drafting documents. We take the time to understand your unique goals, family dynamics, and financial situation to create a comprehensive and personalized estate plan that provides true peace of mind.

Here’s how we guide you through the process:

Clearly Defining Your Wishes: We’ll help you articulate your desires for asset distribution, guardianship, healthcare decisions, and more, ensuring your voice is heard.

Crafting Legally Sound Documents: We’ll expertly prepare all necessary legal documents, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance healthcare directives, ensuring they are valid and enforceable in California.

Strategic Wealth Protection: We’ll explore effective strategies, such as trusts, to protect your assets from creditors, minimize estate taxes, and provide for your loved ones in the most beneficial way.

Planning for Healthcare Decisions: We’ll assist you in creating advance healthcare directives and appointing agents to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so.

Preventing Family Conflict: A well-thought-out estate plan eliminates ambiguity and clearly outlines your intentions, significantly reducing the risk of disputes and ensuring a smoother transition for your family.

Creating an Advance Health Care Directive

You may be wondering what an Advance Health Care Directive is and how it differs from other legal documents, such as a living will. A living will outlines your medical treatment preferences in situations where you are unable to communicate, such as being unconscious or terminally ill. For example, you may specify that you do not wish to receive life-sustaining treatment in certain circumstances.

In California, the Advance Health Care Directive has replaced the living will as the recognized legal document for expressing medical care preferences. This directive provides comprehensive instructions regarding your health care decisions in the event you become incapacitated. It includes:

Power of Attorney for Health Care – This section allows you to appoint an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. Many people choose their spouse, but you can select any trusted adult. You may also designate alternate agents if your primary choice is unavailable.
Individual Instructions – You can outline specific medical preferences for certain situations, such as “do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders or other life-sustaining treatments. These instructions ensure that your wishes are clear and legally enforceable.

Learn More About Advance Health Care Directives

Designating Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney is a legal document that designates a trusted individual to make health care, financial, and other important decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. This ensures that your affairs are managed smoothly without confusion or delays during critical moments.

For estate planning purposes, having a durable power of attorney in place is essential. It provides clear legal authority to someone you trust, allowing them to handle financial matters, medical decisions, and other essential responsibilities when you are unable to do so.

Our estate planning attorneys in Orinda can guide you through the process of establishing a durable power of attorney, ensuring your wishes are legally documented and your best interests are protected. Contact us today to get started.

Learn More About Durable Power of Attorney

Protecting Your Assets with a Trust

Trusts are powerful estate planning tools that help ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes while protecting your family from the costly and time-consuming probate process. In California, probate can be particularly expensive, but establishing a trust allows you to avoid unnecessary legal hurdles, saving your loved ones both time and money. Additionally, probate is a public process, meaning your financial matters could become part of the public record. A trust, however, keeps your estate details private, ensuring that decisions remain solely between you, your family, and your attorneys.

Learn More About Trusts

Frequently Asked Questions

When you begin exploring estate planning, you’ll quickly realize that it involves much more than just drafting a will or completing a few online forms. Effective estate planning requires careful consideration of your goals and how you want to protect your legacy for the future. Our experienced estate planning attorneys are here to provide answers, offer guidance, and walk you through every step of the process. To help you get started, we’ve compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

No, hiring an attorney is not required to create a will in California. The state allows individuals to draft their own wills. However, consulting with an estate planning lawyer is highly recommended to prevent potential disputes, ensure your will is legally sound, and clearly communicate your final wishes.

As soon as possible. Life is unpredictable, and delaying your will, advance health care directive, and other estate planning documents can put your finances and family’s future at risk. Proper planning ensures your wishes are honored and spares your loved ones from making difficult decisions during challenging times.

In California, state laws determine how your assets are distributed if you pass away without a will. These laws outline specific rules depending on whether you have a spouse, children, or other surviving relatives. To ensure your assets are allocated according to your wishes, it’s essential to have a well-drafted will and comprehensive estate planning documents in place.

It’s wise to review your estate plan every few years to ensure it aligns with your current wishes. Additionally, significant life events—such as marriage, the birth of a child, or other major changes—should prompt an update to keep your plan accurate and effective.

Talk to an Estate Planning Attorney Now

Proper estate planning provides peace of mind by ensuring your future and your family’s security. By taking action now, you can:

Ensure your final wishes are honored.

Protect yourself and your finances.

Secure your family’s future, especially for your children.

Maximize the inheritance your children receive.

Keep your personal affairs private.

At Burrey Law Groups, our California estate planning attorneys are dedicated to creating a plan tailored to your unique needs. We take the time to review your options, explain the available legal tools, and develop the best strategy for you.

To learn more about our estate planning services, contact our office today for a consultation or schedule a Peace of Mind Planning Session. We look forward to helping you plan for the future with confidence.

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