Estate Planning AttorneysServing Clients In California & Nevada
Estate planning is not a one-time event—it’s an ongoing process that should adapt to changes in your life and the law. Tax regulations, estate laws, and financial landscapes evolve, potentially impacting your existing plan. That’s why it’s important to review your estate plan periodically to ensure it remains aligned with your goals and the latest legal requirements.
Significant life events—such as marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, a substantial change in assets, or the passing of a loved one—should prompt an immediate review of your plan. Failing to update your estate plan could lead to unintended consequences, such as outdated beneficiary designations, unnecessary taxes, or complications in the distribution of your assets.
Nick Garver, a Southern California native, is an experienced attorney who practices in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, and probate administration. Prior to co-founding Estate Law, Inc., Nick practiced complex civil and patent litigation, representing clients including the Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff’s Departments, California Bank & Trust, Juniper Networks, and Amazon.com. Nick also served as a law clerk to Judge James G. Reinhart of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
Katie attended Laguna Beach High School and graduated from UCLA in three years, magna cum laude. After obtaining a master’s degree in London, with merit, she obtained her JD degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where she served as an editor on the Loyola Law School Entertainment Law Review. Katie is licensed in California and Nevada.
Leslie R. Daff, JD, MBA, is a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law, a designation earned by fewer than 100 of the 15,000 licensed attorneys in the county. She is also certified as an Estate Planning Law Specialist and has been designated an Accredited Estate Planner® by Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, a designation earned by five attorneys in the county. Formerly with 1,000-attorney international law firm Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP and regional law firms Best Best & Krieger LLP and Palmieri, Tyler, Weiner, Wilhelm & Waldron LLP, she founded Estate Law, Inc., a professional law corporation, in Laguna Beach and Irvine in 2005.
Why Choose Us
Many estate planning attorneys offer complimentary reviews of existing estate plans and can provide valuable recommendations to ensure your wishes are properly documented and protected. When selecting an attorney, work with someone who remains informed about the latest legal and tax developments and proactively advises you on any changes that may impact your plan.
With proper oversight and periodic updates, your estate plan will continue to safeguard your legacy and provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Establishing An Estate Plan
When someone passes away, his or her property must somehow pass to another person. In the United States, any competent adult has the right to choose the manner in which his or her assets are distributed after his or her passing. (The main exception to this general rule involves what is called a spousal right of election which disallows the complete disinheritance of a spouse in most states.) A proper estate plan also involves strategies to minimize potential estate taxes and settlement costs as well as to coordinate what would happen with your home, your investments, your business, your life insurance, your employee benefits (such as a 401K plan), and other property in the event of death or disability. On the personal side, a good estate plan should include directions to carry out your wishes regarding health care matters, so that if you ever are unable to give the directions yourself, someone you know and trust can do that for you.
Sadly, many individuals don’t engage in formal estate planning because they don’t think that they have “a lot of assets” or mistakenly believe that their assets will be automatically shared among their children upon their passing. If you don’t make proper legal arrangements for the management of your assets and affairs after your passing, the state’s intestacy laws will take over upon your death or incapacity. This often results in the wrong people getting your assets as well as higher estate taxes.
If you pass away without establishing an estate plan, your estate would undergo probate, a public, court-supervised proceeding. Probate can be expensive and tie up the assets of the deceased for a prolonged period before beneficiaries can receive them. Even worse, your failure to outline your intentions through proper estate planning can tear apart your family as each person maneuvers to be appointed with the authority to manage your affairs. Further, it is not unusual for bitter family feuds to ensue over modest sums of money or a family heirloom.