Top Rated Estate Planning & Probate Attorney in Campbell, CA

Newsletters

• This article for the Litherland Law Office monthly newsletter - Elder Law Today - was mailed to the Elder Law Today subscribers and was also posted on my law firm website. It pertains to Medi-Cal Planning and the Deficit Reducation Act and when the DRA may be fully implemented in California.

  , Elder Law Today Newsletter - Medi-Cal Planning and the Deficit Reduction Act

Educational Background

• Bachelor of Arts in Policitcal Science, Bachelor of Arts in History, Uniiversity of California, San Diego

  , 2005

Videos

• I created this presentation to help consumers understand the importance of funding assets into a living trust, what assets not to fund into a living trust, and to explain funding and the purpose of funding assets into a living trust.

  , Funding a Living Trust, 2016

• Explaining Transfer on Death Deeds as they pertain to California Law

  , Transfer on Death Deeds, 2015

Scholarly Lectures/Writings

• Approximately 20-25 times each year, I present a free living trust seminar to members of the public to educate them on the importance of estate planning

  , Presenter and Author, Living Trust Seminar, 2018
• Will your family know what to do upon your death or incapacity?  Do they know which of your estate planning documents they will need to use and when to use them? Join us with your adult children, Successor Trustees, Executors and Power of Attorney Agents at this unique class. Attendees will learn what to do after someone dies or is incapacitated, and the role that various people and estate planning documents play in the process. We will also cover tips and recommendations on what you can do now to prepare for the future.  Being prepared to implement an estate plan is just as important as creating an estate plan., Author and Presenter, Trustee and Power of Attorney School, 2019
• Attend this workshop to learn: Why many loved ones with special needs lose their eligibility for government assistance after receiving a well-intended inheritance Why it is not necessary to disinherit your loved one with special needs just to preserve eligibility for government assistance Why it is not always the best idea to rely on the siblings or other relatives of a loved one with special needs to provide for the care of your loved one after you are gone What a Special Needs Trust is and how it works If you need a Stand-Alone Special Needs Trust What is In-Kind Support and Maintenance and why should I be concerned about it? Why it may not be the best idea for a friend or relative to serve as the trustee of a Special Needs Trust, Author and Presenter, Special Needs Workshop, 2019
• Attend this FREE workshop and learn: How NOT to become impoverished by Nursing Home Costs now averaging over $100,000/year! Already in a Nursing Home? We can help! The real look-back gifting rules are not what you think! Preserve Medi-Cal eligibility and avoid loss of your family home! How proper planning can Protect Your Assets! Why traditional Living Trusts won’t help with Nursing Home Costs! The difference between immediate need and long term planning., Author and Presenter, Medi-Cal Planning Workshop: Learn How To Protect Your Assets from Catastrophic Nursing Home Costs, 2019
• If you own a home…or you have assets worth at least $100,000…you owe it to yourself – and your family – to get the facts on proper estate planning.  If you think you’re protected with a simple Will…think again…A Will goes through probate, which means your family may not be able to take possession of your estate for many months, or even years! Proper estate planning avoids the pitfalls of probate and ensures that your estate actually gets to those individuals or charities you wish. A living trust can eliminate the costs and time involved in a probate and will protect your estate if you become incapacitated by avoiding a conservatorship. This means your estate will be managed as you see fit, not as a court-appointed conservator sees fit. To find out more about the benefits of proper estate planning, attend this free Living Trust Seminar , Author and Presenter, Living Trust Seminar, 2019

• I developed this program for our clients and their loved ones/trustees/agents to help educate them on the various roles of trustees, agents and executors in an estate plan, what to do if a trustor becomes incapacitated, and to explain the various pieces of an effective estate plan and how each document works.

  , Author and Presenter, Trustee and Power of Attorney School, 2017

• I developed this free workhop for the benefit of our living trust clients and their loved ones to discuss the importance of funding assets into a living trust, what assets should not be funded into a living trust, and how to fund assets that shoudl be funded into a living trust.

  , Author and Presenter, Funding a Trust, 2015

• In 2014, I developed a workshop to present to our living trust clients and their loved ones on the importance of funding their living trusts and how to fund various assets into the trust.  I presented this workshop twice in 2014.

  , Author and Presenter, Funding Your Trust Workshop, 2014
• I offer this free workshop to the general public approximately once per month to help educate them on Medi-Cal Planning issues, Author and Presenter, Medi-Cal Planning Workshop: Learn How To Protect Your Assets from Catastrophic Nursing Home Costs, 2018

Verdicts/Settlements

• I am an estate planning attorney, and we do not practice litigation and therefore, we do no thave verdicts or settlements. 

  , 2018

Honors/Awards

• Academy Fellow Education and Experience Requirements, Fellow, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys 2019 to present, 2021

• Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Federal Estate and Gift Tax

  , Witkin Award for Academic Excellence, University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2009

• Member

  , Roger J. Traynor Honor Society, University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2009

• Dean's Honor List

  , Dean's Honor List, University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2009

• Dean's Honor List

  , Dean's Honor List, University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2007

Special Licenses/Certifications

• California Notary Public, 2008-2024, 2021
• Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, 2016-present, 2021

Representative Clients

• My clients range in financial and marital status. I have prepared estate plans for unmarried individuals with no children and with children, married couples with no children and children, same-sex couples who are both married or domestic partners.  My typical client is a homeowner with wealth from $500,000-$10,000,000, and for these clients I prepare comprehensive estate plans that include a Revocable Living Trust, Pour-Over Will, Property Power of Attorney, Advanced Health Care Power of Attorney, and I also prepare and record Trust Transfer Deeds for these clients to assure that their California residence is funded properly into their trust.  I also prepare simple estate plans for younger adults or seniors who do not own a home but need to have the protection offered by a Will, Property Power of Attorney, and Advanced Health Care Power of Attorney. I charge a flat fee for all living trust estate plans and do not charge clients for telephone calls, emails or consultations., 2021

Bar/Professional Activity

• Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, 2015-2021, 2021
• Member, California State Bar, 2021
• Member, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, 2012-2021, 2021
• Member, Silicon Valley Bar Association, 2021
• Certified Legal Specialist in in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, 2016-present, 2021