San Fernando Valley Lawyer for Wills and Trusts

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Lawyer for Wills and Trusts in San Fernando Valley

We at Garabedian Law Firm offer a range of estate planning services for individuals, assisting them with wills, trusts, successions, estate tax planning, and power of attorneys. With the right estate planning, we help secure your legacies after you die, become ill, or become incapacitated and manage your estate affairs for the benefit of your family members.


The decisions about your estate you make today will make the lives and future of your loved ones easier by providing them with financial protection after your demise. Contact our experienced lawyers for wills and trusts in San Fernando Valley to meet your estate planning needs regarding wills and trusts.

Wills and Trusts Lawyer

Understanding Wills and Trusts

Wills and trusts are elementary estate planning tools necessary for distributing the estate to the beneficiaries after the owner’s death. Trusts and wills serve different purposes, though both help provide financial security to the next generation.


A will is a legal document that states the instructions as the last words for distributing and handling your property and assets after death. It is a pivotal legal document central to fulfilling your wishes regarding the assets you own upon death.


On the other hand, a trust is a legal structure that helps owners transfer the authority of their property or assets to someone they know, called a trustee. Unlike wills, a trust is effective when the owner is alive. It aims to hold the assets for you and your beneficiaries while ensuring the trustees manage them as you wish.


At the Garabedian Audish Law firm, we have dedicated lawyers for trusts and wills who help create all the essential legal documents to benefit your successors and minimize potential risks and tax implications.

Different Types of Wills and Trusts

Various types of wills are required based on the decisions and wishes of the estate owner. From a simple will that defines the distribution of assets among the beneficiaries to a joint will that awards any assets to surviving family members, there are specific types of wills for different circumstances.


California primarily recognizes three types of wills that are essential in estate planning.

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  • Attested Wills: These are wills signed in the presence of a witness and, hence, considered ‘attested’ or ‘self-proving.’ Since the presence of the testator (creator of the will) in signing the will is verified, it is more valid in the probate courts.
  • Holographic Wills: These are handwritten wills that the testator writes. They are considered valid even if they are not signed in front of the witnesses. If you need to ensure the legal validity of the wills, the witness must verify that the testator has written it in their presence.
  • Statutory Wills: These blank forms can be completed and printed anytime without legal assistance. Statutory wills are like templates that make creating a will easier in the future, especially when you are not specific about what to include in the will. A statutory will needs to be signed before at least two impartial witnesses.

 

While certain trusts transfer assets to a trustee, giving the trustee the authority to manage them, others are beneficial in several other ways. Some are flexible and can be used during the entire lifetime of the trustor (who creates the trust), whereas some offer specific advantages.

Common types of trusts in California that our qualified lawyers for trusts handle are:

  •  Revocable Trust: The trustor creates this trust while alive, and it can be amended, revoked, or terminated at any time without the permission or consent of the beneficiaries.
  • Irrevocable Trust: These trusts can never be amended or terminated. The trustor nullifies their right to change or revoke the trust while establishing it.
  • Living Trust: Living trusts are created and become active during the trustor’s lifetime. Usually, after the trustor’s death, the assets pass on to the beneficiaries.
  • Testamentary Trust: The trustor creates this trust to benefit their heirs after death. Usually, a testamentary trust is created along with a will and does not become effective until the trustor passes away.
  • Special Needs Trust: As the name suggests, this kind of trust is created to benefit individuals with special needs. The beneficiaries can receive disbursements according to the trust without compromising their benefits from governmental programs.

Benefits of Hiring Will and Trust Attorneys in San Fernando Valley

At the Garabedian Audish Law firm, we have experienced lawyers for wills and trusts who can guide the establishment of all legal documents. Our attorney will walk you through the intricate process of drafting and creating your will or trust according to your wishes and interests.


Here’s why you should hire our will and trust attorney in Los Angeles, who will ensure you protect your legacy.

 

  • Precise Document Preparation: The Garabedian lawyer at our firm specializes in handling all the paperwork involved in estate planning, including the preparation of trusts and wills. Whether you need to create a will or trust, we ensure you draft your document meticulously, outlining your assets, goals, interests, and wants.
  • Client-focussed Services: Our estate planning lawyer in Los Angeles has years of experience and deeply understands how sensitive trusts or wills are. We take a client-centric approach and sincerely prioritize clients’ needs, aspirations, and wishes while crafting a will or trust.
  • Holistic Approach: We have the best estate planning lawyer who offers services beyond drafting wills and trusts. Our lawyer approaches your case holistically, evaluating every aspect of your situation, including legal and family dynamics.

Contact our distinguished law firm for straightforward legal advice on trusts and wills, estate planning, and the establishment of your legal documents.

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Legal Authority: Powers of Attorney and Health Directives

In Los Angeles, the power of attorney lets you appoint someone or an agent to handle your assets and financial affairs. Healthcare directives, on the other hand, are living wills or advance directives that let you express your decisions about medical care and expenses in case you are incapacitated.


With both powers of attorney and health directives established, you don’t lose your authority over decision-making and ensure peace of mind for your family members. Our qualified will and trust attorney in Los Angeles will help you:

  • Managing Finances with a Power of Attorney: Our attorneys help you control assets and property with the Power of Attorney (POA) by properly creating the legal document. Our dedicated lawyers for wills and trusts ensure that you establish a document that is not just legally sound but precisely reflects your wishes, protects your assets, and prevents the abuse of rights for your beneficiaries. We will also guide you on the scope of your agent’s authority and the probable implications of the POA.
  • Ensuring Medical Decisions with an Advance Health Care Directive: Our qualified lawyers in Los Angeles for wills and trusts help you with the documentation of advance healthcare directives that respect your decisions regarding medical care and expenses when you become sick or incapacitated to do so. We craft the document carefully, defining your wishes and ensuring they are enforceable rightfully when you cannot do so.

Explore More About Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney

Garabedian Audish Law welcomes you to explore our estate planning services regarding wills, trusts, and power of attorneys.


Seek consultation from our seasoned Garabedian Lawyer for wills and trusts and discuss your needs and goals in detail. After thoroughly evaluating your circumstances, we help you create a will or trust that protects your legacy and minimizes the risks of financial issues or probate.

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Estate Planning Support – Garabedian Audish Law Firm is Here for You!

At Garabedian Audish Law Firm, we are your trusted legal partner for estate planning. From drafting a will, trust, or POA to assisting with setting up an estate plan, we offer various services to simplify wealth management for future generations.


With over a decade of experience in estate planning, we have assisted hundreds of clients in optimizing wealth distribution and financial well-being. Hire one of our best lawyers for wills and trusts in Los Angeles to create a trust or will to take care of your inheritance.

Do I need a lawyer to create a will?

Yes, you need a lawyer in Los Angeles to create a will to secure your property and assets while saving your family from potential financial risks and future stress. A lawyer will listen to your wishes and demands about the distribution of your estate after death and accurately create a will that reflects your wishes and protects your legacy.

Establishing a trust helps you achieve your long-term estate planning goals while maximizing the financial benefits to your family members or heirs. It also helps in asset protection, prevention of probate issues, medical aid planning, and reducing estate taxes.

The cost of hiring the best estate planning lawyer in Los Angeles varies based on several factors, like the complexity of your estate, the types of documents required for your estate plan, and the experience of the attorney you are hiring. On average, hiring an estate planning lawyer varies from $300 to $1,200 for a simple will, $1,000 to $3,000 for a living trust, and $2,500 to $5,000 for inclusive estate planning services.

If you leave behind your property and assets after death without a will, your family or heirs will face legal hassles and emotional stress. Your assets will be distributed according to the laws of intestate succession, or they may get a court-appointed administrator to manage your estate through a probate process.

In California, a trust, especially a living trust, helps avoid probate. The trust holds your assets and passes them to designated beneficiaries after your death according to the trust’s conditions, bypassing any potential probate cases.

Yes, you can alter your trust after it is established if your situation demands it. However, you need advice from a legal expert to avoid potential risks or complexities.

If someone contests your will, they are challenging the will’s validity, which may invalidate the will or result in an inefficient distribution of the will. It could also lead to the enforcement of any previous will. Contesting your will will delay the probate and, simultaneously, the distribution of the assets.

Yes, your will and trust can be challenged in court on different grounds. Typically, a will is challenged if it is proven not executed property, the person making the will is not in capacity, or there was some undue influence during the making of the will. On the other hand, a trust can be challenged if there is evidence of a breach of fiduciary duty or improper following of the trust terms.