DeEtte L. Loeffler
Top rated Estate Planning & Probate attorney in San Diego, California
Thoughtful Legal Planning
Practice areas: Estate Planning & Probate, Closely Held Business, Tax; view more
Licensed in California since: 1989
Education: Pepperdine University School of Law
Call today:
619-859-5200
Thoughtful Legal Planning
2305 Historic Decatur RdSuite 100
San Diego, CA 92106 Visit website
Details
DeEtte L. Loeffler founded DeEtte L. Loeffler, A Professional Corporation, with a solid commitment to equipping her clients with the tools they need to plan thoughtfully for their peaceful future. Based in San Diego, California, she offers a wide range of legal services related to estate planning and trust administration, business law, real estate law, and tax planning for individuals and small-business owners.
A highly knowledgeable and astute professional, Ms. Loeffler has a proven ability to unravel complex issues and come up with straightforward and practical solutions. Her extensive tax and estate planning experience focuses on blended families, multigenerational plans, family business formation and business succession planning. She also assists with pre- and postnuptial planning for property division, charitable planning and international asset transfers.
Upon graduating with her bachelor’s degree in English in 1986 from the University of Washington, Ms. Loeffler completed her Juris Doctor cum laude in 1989 at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, where she maintained an active involvement in Pepperdine Law Review. She also obtained her LL.M. in taxation summa cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2007. For more than 24 years, she served as a member of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in various capacities, achieving several service awards during that time.
A member of The State Bar of California, the California Lawyers Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, ProVisors and the Estate Planning Group Network, Ms. Loeffler has been a regular presenter of continuing education programs on various tax, business and estate planning topics.
Ms. Loeffler previously served as the chairperson of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Taxation Law Section. She also served on the boards of the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Downtown San Diego Lions Club. She has covered a wide range of legal topics in her writings and presentations in various journals and forums.
Ms. Loeffler has been honored with an “Excellent” rating on Avvo. As a Crew Adviser with Scouts of America, her responsibilities included developing teenagers into good citizens and future leaders through many high-adventure activities. While on the Planned Giving Committee, she advised the San Diego Natural History Museum on significant lifetime and estate gifts.
Practice areas
Estate Planning & Probate, Closely Held Business, Tax: Business, Tax: ConsumerFocus areas
Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Tax Law, Trusts, Wills
- 50% Estate Planning & Probate
- 20% Closely Held Business
- 20% Tax: Business
- 10% Tax: Consumer
First Admitted: 1989, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.tlp-sd.com/about/about-the-principal/
- San Diego County Bar Association, Taxation Section
- Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, Board of Directors ("Session"), head of Planned Giving, Chair of Nominating Committee, and member of Finance Committee, 2025
- Tax, Trust & Estates, and Elder Law Sections of the San Diego County Bar Association
- Tax, and Trusts and Estates Sections of the California Lawyers Association
- Downtown Chapter of San Diego Lions Club, Board of Directors (2017-2022); Secretary (2022-2023)
- San Diego Natural History Museum Board of Directors (2016-2022); Secretary (2021-2022)
- Essential Planning for Aging, Group leader. EPA is a professional organization focused on providing excellent service to seniors in a variety of areas, including estate planning, tax, investments, insurance, real estate services, caregiving and more., 2025
- Provisors, Member
- California, 1989
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, B.A., English
- University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California, LL.M., Taxation, summa cum laude, 2005-2007
- Participate in a panel discussion of the legal obligations of attorneys relating to assisting clients to file Beneficial Ownership Information Reports to FinCEN, including penalties, and the various legal challenges filed in numerous states. Provided sample provisions for attorneys to add to entity operating agreements to shift the penalties to entity owners shop fail to cooperate with required reporting.. , Panel member, FinCEN and BOIR Reporting, ProVisors Attorneys Group, Attorneys, 2024
- Provide update on Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting rules for entities, and newly released FinCEN rules for those involved in real estate transactions. , Speaker, New FinCEN Guidance Relating to Real Estate, The Group Inc., Attorneys, CPAs, Financial Advisors, 2024
- Spoke on effect of recent updates to the Secure Act on Estate Planning , Speaker, The Secure Act, The Group Inc., Attorneys, CPAs, Financial Advisors, 2025
- 9/29/25 on-line CLE presentation as part of the Wills and Trusts: The Ultimate Guide seminar. Discuss planning for various taxes based on the nature of the client's assets sand the size of the estate, including income, estate, gift, generation-skipping, and real property taxes in California., Speaker, Tax Consideration in Crafting Estate Plans, NBI, Attorneys, 2025
- The program discusses current tax rules and issues affecting high net worth trusts and estates, including a discussion of estate tax, fiduciary income tax reporting and property tax issues in the wake of Prop 19., Speaker, 2023 Tax Issues for High Net Worth Trusts and Estates, San Diego County Bar Association, Attorneys; CPAs; Trustees, 2023
- Spoke with UBS investors group regarding tax issues in estate planning and trust administration, Speaker, Estate Planning, Investors, 2025
- Spoke to Junior League of San Diego investment group , Speaker, New Estate Planning Issues in 2024, Investors, 2024
- The Program addresses tax issues that affect the purchase, sale and transfer of California real estate, including taxes and tax deductions for personal residences, property tax issues relating to transfers, and tax issues relating to rental real estate. , Speaker, Real Estate Tax Issues, California Lawyers Association, Attorneys; CPAs; Realtors, 2023
- San Diego County Bar Association, Federal and State Tax Update, San Diego, December 7, 2021
- National Business Institute, Handling Assets of the Estate and Filing Taxes, San Diego, May 17, 2013
- California Probate Referee Conference, Appraisals and the 706, May 3, 2014
- San Diego Planned Giving Partnership, Charitable IRA Rollovers, San Diego, May 16, 2016
- National Business Institute, Estate Planning from A-Z, Basic Tax Planning, San Diego, December 6, 2016
- National Business Institute, Estate Planning from A-Z: Basic Tax Planning, San Diego, December 12-13, 2017
- MOAA, Miramar Chapter, Overview of Estate Planning, April 5, 2018.
- National Business Institute, Trusts, the Ultimate Guide: Grantor Trusts and Tax Deduction with Trusts, San Diego, August 20-21, 2018
- National Business Institute, Estate Administration Boot Camp: Income Tax Returns; and Portability and Estate, Gift and GST Taxes, San Diego, June 12, 2019
- National Business Institute, Estate Planning from A-Z: Basic Tax Planning and Updates, San Diego, June 9, 2020
- San Diego County Bar Association, Allocation of the Million Dollar Exclusion and How to Lose at the Assessor’s Office, San Diego, September 1, 2020
- Association of Fundraising Professionals, San Diego Chapter, Maximizing Cash Gifts Through Planned Giving, San Diego, September 22, 2021
- Closely Held Businesses
- Individuals
- Professionals
- real estate heavy investors
Office location for DeEtte L. Loeffler
2305 Historic Decatur Rd
Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92106
Phone: 619-859-5200
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2025