Unless you draft a Will or set up a Trust, a probate court may end up deciding what to do with your estate after you pass away. Steven Peck’s Premier Legal can help you draft the necessary documents and select the proper estate planning tools that you need to insure that your assets, property, and children are taken care of according to your wishes.

Wills
Drafting a will can be the difference between you deciding how you would like your estate to be handled after you die and a court making these decisions for you. Without a Will, not only will your assets be divided and distributed to only the beneficiaries that are designated under California probate law, but if you have underage children and you did not name anyone as their legal guardian in your Will, a judge may decide who gets custody of your children and it may not be the person that you would have actually chosen.

At Steven Peck’s Premier Legal, we have the tools and experience to help you set up your Will correctly so that it cannot be later contested for fraud, undue influence, or any other reason. We can also work with you to make special arrangements for certain beneficiaries by adding a testamentary trust to your will or setting up other kinds of trusts.

Updating your Will on a regular basis is very important, especially if you get remarried, have a new child, buy a new home, or sell/buy/start a business. You will also need an executor to administer your estate, and we can work with you to make sure that you appoint someone who is able to do the correct job for you.

After you are gone, and once your Will goes through probate, one of our Senior Attorneys can help administer your estate. Identifying assets, locating your beneficiaries, handling any tax issues, and distributing your estate to beneficiaries are all responsibilities that we can help your executor accomplish.

In the event that a dispute related to your Will arises, our experienced probate litigation lawyers can handle the matter for you in court. Visit the Probate Litigation section of our Web site for more information.

Trusts
One of the advantages of setting up a Trust is that they do not fall under the jurisdiction of a probate court. A Trust is an agreement that places certain assets in a Trust that is managed by a Trustee—either the person who set up the Trust (called the grantor) and/or another person or organization appointed to administer the Trust. Like a Will, a Trust lets you distribute your assets in specified ways to designated beneficiaries whom you have chosen.

There are a many different kinds of Living Trusts (called “living” because you can set them up while you are still alive). Steven Peck’s Premier Legal will work with you to explore your options and help you come up with an estate plan that meets your goals and satisfies your estate planning needs.

Here are just some of the many Trusts we will set up for you.

• Revocable Trusts
• Irrevocable Trusts
• Charitable Trusts
• Charitable Remainder Trusts
• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts

We can help you appoint an appropriate Trustee to handle your assets and their distribution to each beneficiary. We can also help you and/or your Trustee administer the Trust.

Probate & Trust Litigation
In the event that a problem or dispute arises with your estate after you are gone, a probate court will usually have jurisdiction over this matters. You may be a relative who wishes to contest a Will’s validity or terms, or you may be a loved one who believes that the executor of your loved one’s estate breached their fiduciary responsibilities and you would like to have him or her replaced. We can help you contest the Will and Trust or petition the appropriate court for the removal of the executor or the Trustee.

If you are an Executor or a Trustee who has been falsely accused of mismanaging an estate or a trust and you would like an attorney to represent you so that you can continue in your appointed role, we can defend you while protecting your rights and your good name.

A Steven Peck Premier Legal attorney can help you with any of these matters. We are here to protect your rights and your estate. Please contact us online or ask to speak to a Steven Peck Premier Legal attorney by calling us, toll-free, at (866) 999-9085 or at (818) 908-0509.

Steven Peck’s Premier Legal offers superior legal representation and years of experience at a cost-effective price. We are proud to offer customized legal services to meet the needs of individuals, families, and businesses located in San Diego, Woodland Hills, Santa Barbara, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, Van Nuys, West Los Angeles, Orange, Sherman Oaks, Riverside, San Gabriel Valley, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Encino, as well as clients in other cities throughout Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Central California.