Living Trusts

San Francisco Bay Area Estate Planning Attorneys

In Northern California, many people can bring about significant advantage to their estate assets and their beneficiaries through the use of a living trust. Even in the current economy, California real estate comprises such a large percentage of the average overall value of an estate that a living trust can be extremely valuable as part of an overall estate plan.

M C Hall & Associates, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, has been providing sophisticated, creative estate planning services for Bay Area clients for more than 25 years. We advise clients in a variety of financial circumstances about the advisability of including a living trust in their overall estate plan.

Contact us by e-mail or at 415-512-9865 today to schedule an appointment with an experienced estate planning lawyer.

Some Benefits of Living Trusts

A living trust (or revocable trust) is a document designed to transfer assets from the trustor (creator of the trust) to the trustee — a person or institution appointed by the trust's creator to administer the assets to the beneficiary. The beneficiary of a living trust is generally the original trustor. In this way, while the trustor no longer retains legal ownership of the trust assets, they are still available for his or her use during his lifetime.

Clients who may benefit from the use of a living trust include:

• People who have valuable real estate assets
• Those who after analysis of their overall estate determine that the costs of probate would be significantly greater than the cost of administering a trust
• Those who desire more confidentiality than a public probate proceeding)
• Those who wish to have a uniform set of rules for asset distribution as well as have access to court rules to protect the trust assets or to question the decision-making of the trustee
• Those who need to evaluate the impact of a so-called "no contest" clause in an existing trust in the light of recent revisions to the California probate code. M C Hall & Associates is very familiar with this issue and can advise clients on a course of action whether they prefer to invalidate the "no contest" clause or are seeking a new method of protection against unnecessary disputes by beneficiaries.

At M C Hall & Associates, we take the time to evaluate your estate as a whole and listen carefully to your financial wishes and needs. Once we have a clear understanding of your situation, we will assist you in choosing a trust that meets these needs.

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.