Southern California Estate Planning and Probate Lawyers
Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties
Wills, trusts and healthcare directives (living wills) are all tools for proper estate planning. With proper estate planning, you can protect your assets and limit your tax consequences.
At Bennett & Erdman, we believe you have the right to protect your assets and that you should be able to dispose of them as you see fit, not as the government sees fit. We utilize all the tools available to protect your assets, limit your tax liability, plan any charitable giving and permit you to control where your assets will go to upon your death.
Proper estate planning is for the living. We feature estate planning attorney Wendy Hartmann, a Certified Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Specialist.* In addition, Ms. Hartmann also has an LL.M. (Masters Law Degree) in Taxation. She understands the laws and how to use them in conjunction with the proper estate planning tools (wills and trusts) to achieve your goals and minimize the tax effects.
We also have the experience to carry out the wishes of someone how has died and to protect the rights and interests of heirs and other beneficiaries. Through efficient handling of probate or the administration of a trust, our attorneys can ensure that the assets of an estate go to the person or charity intended rather than to the lawyers.
For additional information about us, the benefits of retaining our services and the other areas of our practice, please visit our firm overview page.
Bennett & Erdman — Lawyers for Your Life
To discuss your estate plan or probate issue with an attorney who is also a Certified Specialist with a LL.M. in Taxation, call 323-935-0041 or 310-824-0471.
Los Angeles Area Wills, Trusts, Probate and Estate Planning Attorneys
We handle a wide range of estate planning and probate matters for individuals throughout Southern California, including individuals who recently experienced a change in their family structure (birth, death or divorce or dissolution). Moreover, we also represent LGBT individuals who need the protection of a good estate plan to make up for the shortcomings in the law.
Our estate planning and probate services include:
- Wills (including simple wills and pour-over wills)
- Revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Charitable trusts and gifts
- Charitable remainder trusts
- GRATs and GRITs
- Insurance trusts
- QPRTs (residence trusts)
- Family limited partnerships
- Succession planning
- Retirement planning
- General and limited powers of attorney
- Healthcare powers of attorney (healthcare directives or living wills)
- Financial powers of attorney
- Estate tax planning
- Gift tax issues
In addition, we handle all aspects of the estate or probate administration after the death of a loved one, including:
- Estate tax preparation and filing
- Trust administration
- Probate administration
- Representation in probate proceedings
- Creditor claims
- Probate litigation
- Estate litigation
To discuss California estate planning or probate law, or for assistance with your estate planning or probate matter, we invite you call an experienced attorney at 323-935-0041 or 310-824-0471. If you choose, you may also fill out our intake form and one of our lawyers will contact you.
