Protect Your Family. Property. Business. Legacy. Wealth.
Welcome! You are on the right path forward.
Thank you for taking this step in planning for your family’s future.
The pain of experiencing an unexpected loss in my family is why I decided to start my law firm. I find peace through preparation. It is our responsibility to be ready and I am here to guide you to protect your family from the unexpected.
I graduated from Harvard Law School. I completed my undergraduate at UCLA (Go Bruins!). My lifelong passions are marathon running, my family and friends, reading philosophy and writing stories. I was born and raised in California.
Our health, family and wisdom are our true wealth. We must protect them in order to write the best legacy we can. I am here to help you do it.
Sincerely,
Shant
Estate Planning 101
Anyone who wants to control their legacy needs an estate plan regardless of their age and assets.
Parents with minor children especially need to have a plan in place to protect their children and their assets from the state.
If you don’t have an estate plan, then your estate will go to probate.
An estate plan ensures that your loved ones are cared for and protected long-term. You can designate who will take care of your minor children and yourself in case of your incapacity.
A trust-based estate plan helps you avoid the expense of probate courts, decreases the amount of time to settle your estate, and reduces potential conflict among family members and false heirs.
Probate costs vary based on several factors, including the value of the estate and whether or not there are any legal disputes that may extend the timeline.
Here is a calculation of the statutory fees you will need to pay attorneys and executors in probate cases (2x amounts below), based on the gross value of the estate:
- 4% of the first $100,000
- 3% of the next $100,000
- 2% of the next $800,000
- 1% of the next $9 million
- 0.5% of the next $15 million
- A reasonable amount for estates valued over $25 million, as determined by the court.
My mentor taught me that the cheapest estate plan (no plan) ends up costing the most (in money, time and pain).
Estate planning costs vary because every family is unique. If you are price shopping for the cheapest plan, you will leave a lot of value on the table and risk that your family will still go to probate.
Probate can take 9-18 months in California. Complicated estates can take even longer.
You need to check and update your estate plan whenever there is a change that significantly impacts your family.
For example, a new house, a new baby, marriage, inheritance, divorce, disability, death, change in tax laws or a change of mind.
If you forget to update your estate plan, your family may still go to probate, pay more in taxes, and fight for your assets to not go to someone you did not intend.