Law Offices of Walwick & Freed

Probate: When a person dies with or without a Will, and their assets exceed $100,000, a formal Probate Administration is required. Whether you are involved with a small uncomplicated and straightforward estate, or an involved, complex estate, our firm has the knowledge and experience to guide you through the Probate process efficiently and painlessly. Our office has represented hundreds of executors and administrators in administering estates, as well as representing devisees, creditors, and other interested family members involved in the probate process. The legal fee for a probate administration is based on the value of the estate and can be very accurately estimated for you on your first visit. Our office provides a free consultation for estate administrations.
Will Contests/Probate and Trust Litigation: Are you a beneficiary of a Will or a Trust? Do you believe you may not be receiving the share of an estate to which you are entitled because of outside influence? Is someone administering an estate in an unfair manner at your expense? Our firm has represented beneficiaries, successor trustees, creditors and disinherited family members to resolve similar issues and achieve favorable results. Our philosophy is to start with the least litigious path, such as informal mediation, to achieve an acceptable result, slowly increasing the intensity to include hard-nosed litigation all the way through Trial, if doing it the "easy way" doesn't work.
Wills/Trusts and Estate Planning: Do you have a Will or Living Trust? Are you concerned about what will happen to your estate after you pass away? Who will raise your kids? Who will raise your kids? We have assisted thousands of clients in establishing a plan to provide for the orderly transfer of assets on death. Proper planning for the benefit of your loved ones, brings "peace of mind." From the complex Trust to the simple Will, we can answer all of your questions, address your concerns and recommend the best possible estate plan for your particular needs. All of our estate planning packages include: Revocable Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney for Property Management, Advanced Health Care Directives, pour over Wills, HIPAA waivers, Community Property Agreements (if desired) and many more documents to establish and implement your particular estate plan. Our flat rates for Trust packages include all copying costs, notary services and the preparation and filing of one piece of California real property. We can provide price quotes for estate planning packages over the phone.
Guardianship/Conservatorship: If a catastrophic injury to a loved one, or the onset of dementia has caused the need to take control of his or her finances or health care decision making, a Conservatorship may be necessary. Our office is very experienced in assisting clients through the formal and procedure-intensive conservatorship Court process.

Trust Administration: Has a loved one died leaving a Trust to be administered? Are you a successor trustee or a beneficiary who has questions regarding what needs to be done to distribute Trust assets on death? Our office has assisted surviving spouses and successor trustees in the administration of all types of trusts, from the most complex to the simple trust administration. We also represent beneficiaries concerning their beneficial interest in a Trust. We can quote you a flat fee for all administration services.