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Estate Planning/Wills and Trusts

Creative Estate Planning Lawyers Serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California

Wills ● Trusts ● Probate ● Domestic Partnerships

Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. Protecting your property and ensuring that your assets are distributed based on your wishes is essential for clients from all walks of life.

M C Hall & Associates, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, has been providing creative estate planning for Bay Area clients for more than 25 years. We provide creative, practical and cost-effective estate planning advice so you can protect your loved ones and leave your legacy.

Contact us by e-mail or at 415-512-9865 to schedule an appointment.

Creative, Sophisticated Estate Planning Tools for Californians

The process of estate planning is proactive. Detailed and thorough planning protects your assets, limits exposure to estate taxes, and helps your beneficiaries avoid probate.

We begin with an analysis of your existing income, assets, insurance, and needs. We then consider a wide range of estate planning tools beginning with wills, living wills, durable powers of attorney, and simple revocable or irrevocable trusts. We provide guidance with respect to Medicare and long-term care insurance.

As we develop a deeper understanding of your existing situation and your goals, we may recommend:

  • Specialized trusts, including special needs trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and living trusts
  • Limited partnerships or family limited partnerships, which result in a division of interests that reduces the value of the estate for tax purposes. These can be used effectively to transfer ownership of vineyards, orchards, agricultural property, and small businesses to the next generation.
  • Limited Liability companies (LLCs), which can reduce transfer costs and limit gift taxation when certain assets are likely to be transferred to a giftee on a regular basis
  • Annual gifting programs, when carefully planned in advance, can minimize the value of your estate that may be subject to tax

Domestic Partnerships

We are pleased assist gay and lesbian couples with the formation of domestic partnerships, community property issues, and other legal strategies to protect their relationships.

In particular, we recommend that every G/L/B/T couple have a durable medical power of attorney in place. The last thing you want is to have any doubt about whether your partner has the right to make medical decisions on your behalf should you be unable to do so. Having an appropriate medical power of attorney reduces that anxiety.

Contact Us

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with an experienced attorney, please contact us by e-mail or call us at 415-512-9865.