John M. Goralka
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Estate Planning & Probate Attorney in Sacramento, CA
As an attorney at law at the Goralka Law Firm, John M. Goralka is an estate planning lawyer who represents those in Placer and Sacramento counties. A Blue Star Wealth Professional and approved educator for the California Department of Insurance and the California Certified Financial Planner Board, his practice is focused on the following areas: trusts, tax litigation controversy, tax planning, sales of real property and business, conservatorship, guardianship, probate, estate administration and planning, elder law, corporate and business law, and asset protection planning and implementation.
A certified specialist in estate planning, trusts and probate law, Mr. Goralka received this honor from the State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization. The geographic area his practice covers includes Lincoln, Rocklin, Roseville, Granite Bay, Loomis, Newcastle, Penryn, Auburn, Orangevale, El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Fair Oaks, Gold River, Carmichael, Rancho Cordova, West Sacramento and Elk Grove.
Mr. Goralka received a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Sacramento State University. He then went on to attend the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he obtained both his Master of Laws in Taxation and his Juris Doctor. A member of the State Bar of California and the Sacramento County Bar Association, he is also actively involved with California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Sacramento Estate Planning Council’s Board of Directors.
For his high ethical standards and long list of successful results, he holds the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Goralka has been given the Traynor Society Award for Academic Excellence and the Prentice-Hall Outstanding Tax Student Award, and he has an Avvo “Superb” rating for business, tax and estate planning law.
* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 40%Estate Planning & Probate
- 20%Business/Corporate
- 20%Tax: Business
- 10%Elder Law
- 10%Real Estate: Consumer
Estate Planning, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Wills, Business Formation and Planning, Tax Law
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2016 - 2022
Additional Sources of Information About John M. Goralka
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About John M. Goralka
First Admitted: 1988, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.goralkalawfirm.com/bio/sacramento-business-tax-e...
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- Author, California Tax Lawyer, "Can the Service Partner Finally Go Back To Work?," 1992
- Co-Author, Family Limited Partnerships in Estate Planning and Asset Protection, "Maximize the Use of Family Limited Partnerships in Estate Planning" and "Sort Through the Complex Rules Regarding the taxation of Family Limited Partnerships," 2008
- Co-Author, Estate Planning Basics, "Estate and Gift Taxes" and "Charitable Planning," 2008
- Co-Author, Fundamental Probate Procedures and Practices, "Inventory & Appraisal," 2008
- Co-Author, Estate and Gift Taxes, "Estate, Gift and GST Taxes," 2008
- Co-Author, Estate Planning Basics, "Basic Taxes You Need to be Aware Of," 2008
- Co-Author, The Probate Process for California Paralegals: From Start to Finish, 2003 - 2004
- Co-Author, A Practical Guide to Estate Administration in California, 1992
Honors/Awards
- Prentice-Hall Outstanding Tax Student Award
- Sacramento Magazine Top Lawyer for Business and Corporate Law, 2016
- Class Rank – 4th, McGeorge School of Law
- 10.0 Rating with Avvo.com
- Northern California Super Lawyer for Estate Planning and Probate, Tax, and Business Law, 2016
- American Jurisprudence Awards in Torts and Business Planning
- Traynor Society Award for Academic Achievement
- Corpus Juris Secundum Award For Making the Most Outstanding Contribution to Legal Scholarship (1985 and 1988)
- AV-Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- Distinguished Client Service Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2014
- Order of the Coif
Educational Background
- McGeorge School of Law, L.L.M. in Taxation
- California State University of Sacramento, B.S. in Accounting
Bar/Professional Activity
- Sacramento County and California Bar Associations
- Elder Counsel, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
- Wealth Counsel, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
- Former Education Chair, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
- California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR)
- Board of Directors, Sacramento Estate Planning Council
- National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
Special Licenses/Certifications
- Certified Specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
- Approved Educator - California Department of Insurance
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
- Passed the California Certified Public Accountants' Exam
- Blue Star Wealth Professional
- Former Hearing Officer and Income Tax Auditor, Franchise Tax Board, California
- Approved Educator - California Certificated Financial Planning Board
Last Updated: 5/15/2022