Estate Planning

BB&L’s Full-Service Estate Planning Approach

Here at Baker, Burton & Lundy, our attorneys are not simply “planners.” BB&L also handles every facet of trust administration for those that create estate plans, and probate administration for those who did not successfully plan. We can help the fiduciary administer the estate in the most effective and efficient manner. We pride ourselves in working with you as a team so that matters that can be handled by you will be given to you. This keeps administration costs manageable and actually empowers our clients.

Our South Bay estate planning attorneys Brad N. Baker and Mary Korkodian are experts at guiding people through the estate planning process to help them maximize their goals and their peace of mind.

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Estate Planning Attorneys for Estates of All Sizes

A good estate plan creates a roadmap that is easily administered not only at the time of your passing, but also should you become incapacitated. It also helps you and your heirs avoid the expense and delay of court proceedings.

Many people hold the mistaken belief that estate planning is only applicable to wealthy individuals. Regardless of the size of your estate, if you want to handpick the individuals who will be your trusted facilitators upon your incapacity or passing, you should take the simple steps to set up an estate plan.

There is another common misconception about estate plans. New clients often tell us they don’t have an estate plan yet and are often unpleasantly surprised to learn that the State already has a plan in place for them. If people do not create their own plan, then their estate will be distributed according to California’s laws of intestacy, often with maximum court involvement. We can draft documents for you that replace the terms of the State’s estate plan with terms that reflect your own wishes.

What Legal Documents are Part of an Estate Plan?

Our estate planning attorneys work with people in all phases of life and at all phases in estate planning. We work with individuals or a married couples and develop documents can adapt as people move through life changes. Typically, an estate plan starts with certain foundational documents, included in the list below.

Revocable Trust (also known as a “living trust”)

Pour-Over Will (to act as a funding safety net)
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Durable Power of Attorney for Asset Management
Durable Special Power of Attorney
General Assignment of Assets
HIPAA Authorization Form

More advanced planning may include irrevocable trusts to own insurance policies, personal residences, and business interests. Another tool used by many clients involves special gifting opportunities for children and other targeted beneficiaries.

A properly drafted estate plan replaces the State’s default plan with a plan specific to your family and goals. It can provide for in case of a time of incapacity or for your children and loved one.

Choose an Expert Trust & Estate Attorney

At Baker, Burton & Lundy, our estate planning attorneys have experience and expertise. Brad Baker has been drafting estate plans for almost five decades and understands the complexity and sophistication needed for complex estates. Brad works closely with trusts and estates attorney Mary Korkodian, honored as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, who combines both legal knowledge and real estate experience as she advises clients and helps them draft their plans.