San Diego County Estate Planning Lawyers

Principal Owner
Jack E. Stephens J.D., LL.M. has been practicing law in San Diego since 1990, helping thousands of taxpayers reduce taxes and homeowners protect their property with Trust strategies. Jack Stephens has been designated as Top Lawyer by San Diego Magazine, Best of the Bar, and Avvo on a consistent basis. He has received annual awards including the AV Preeminent Attorney Rating by Martindell-Hubbell, representing the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. As an active contributor to continuing education in Estate Planning, Jack Stephens has authored and edited quarterly newsletters, pamphlets, and contributed articles to the...

Practice Areas
Will and Living Trust drafting and review
Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directives
Will and Trust Amendments and Updates
Estate, Gift, Income, and Property Tax planning Techniques for avoiding probate
Represent Executors and Administrators in Probate
Represent Trustee in Trust Administration
Advanced Estate Tax Planning: Irrevocable Trusts, Gifting Trusts, Grantor Retained Trusts (GRIT, GRAT, GRUT, QPRT), Life Insurance Trusts
Charitable Planning ? Charitable Trusts (CRAT, CRUT, CLT)

Education
University of San Diego School of Law ? Juris Doctorate in 1977
University of California, Irvine ? Bachelor of Arts in 1974
Personal Philosophy
Roberta helps families plan to transfer assets to the next generation while avoiding probate and miniming...

I am a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate law. I have over 30 years of experience as a trusts and estates attorney. I advise clients regarding estate planning, estate/trust administration and litigation. I have offices in Northern and Southern California and can assist you regardless of your location. I can help you with setting up your estate plan, resolving a family dispute regarding a trust or estate and with administration issues after a loved one passes away. Listen to my podcasts at www.adamsandrafferty.com to find out more information about...

What makes me unique is that I am both a Business Owner and a Corporate & Business Law Attorney. I actually started my first business at age 8 when I launched “Dan’s Bird Farm.” As the owner of the Kehr Business Law PC, I provide business, corporate general counsel, technology, Internet, e-commerce and tax law, as well as trust, will, estate and succession planning legal services. I founded, managed and have run my own law firm for over 17 years. My experience as a business owner makes me uniquely suited to approach legal representation from the business owner’s perspective. I...

RMO LLP resolves contests, disputes and litigation related to trusts, estates and conservatorships, creating a welcome peace of mind for clients. We represents heirs, beneficiaries, trustees and executors, utilizing our experience to develop and implement strategies that swiftly and cost-effectively address the financial issues, fiduciary duties and emotional complexities underlying trust contests, estates conflicts and probate litigation. Driven by a commitment to provide relief to people grieving the loss of a loved one, RMO collaborates closely with clients. We pursue and defend claims involving incapacity, incompetence, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other similar areas of dispute. Our advice and counsel...

Nikki Semanchik is the Founding Attorney of Semanchik Law Group. Nikki started out her legal career advising small businesses and individuals in need of estate planning. An interest in international law and her background in immigration led her to represent multi-national high-net worth individuals with business law, asset protection and tax planning. After assisting clients with tax planning through the formation of private foundations and charitable trusts, Nikki found herself drawn to nonprofit law. She now assists nonprofit organizations with formation, compliance and governance.

Nikki is passionate about nonprofit law and enjoys speaking about nonprofit formation and compliance. Her most recent...

James F. Sexton first worked as an attorney for the insurance companies he now opposes. Having worked this side of personal injury and worker’s compensation cases, James understands the goals, motivation, and tactics employed by the insurance companies and the lawyers who protect their interests. He uses that knowledge to better serve and protect his clients’ interests. As CEO of a company and owner of his own law firm, James Sexton’s success reflects the positive experiences his clients have had and continue to have at The Sexton Law Firm. His expertise is extensive and includes California bankruptcy law, California...

Bill helps business owners achieve financial freedom through legal strategies that maximize and protect their assets. As Chief Counsel at Sollertis, Bill works with his clients in the preparation of a Master Asset Protection Plan™ and, once created, manages a team of strategically selected Private Practice Attorneys who work with him to implement the plan and ultimately, to help his clients protect their assets and obtain financial freedom. Bill brings a business perspective to everything he does. As co-founder and managing partner of San Diego Law Firm, he guided the firm in its ascent...

Ruth Ryan-Cruz is an attorney in San Diego, California with Ryan-Cruz Law, APC. Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz practices in the areas of business and corporate law, intellectual property, estate planning, wills, trusts, copyrights, trademarks and more. Contact San Diego Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz for a consultation. Ruth is a fluent Spanish-speaking attorney providing counseling and transactional services in Spanish in the areas listed above. Ruth earned her Juris Doctor Degree from California Western School of Law and received a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in High Tech Management from California State...

Attorney Milda Goeriz is skilled with all estate planning matters and experienced with tax audits and representation before the Internal Revenue Service and state and local tax authorities. In reaching the best results, Attorney Milda Goeriz applies modern methods and an honest approach to law. She employs creative strategies when forming revocable and irrevocable trusts and handling other estate planning matters. Ms. Goeriz has a unique ability to explain the complex planning devices in a simple fashion and is valued by her clients for effective asset protection. A multilingual tax lawyer with a background in international business transactions, Ms....

Family Law Attorney Michael Spiekerman is a highly qualified attorney whose practice is exclusively devoted to dissolution of marriage and domestic partnerships, and all manner of family law related issues. He has represented clients with both complex and simple disputes involving the division of community property assets, the allocation of marital and non-marital debt, obtaining and terminating spousal support awards, setting and modifying child support orders, custody, parenting issues, and much more.

Michael recognizes that the circumstance of ending a marriage or any once intimate relationship is an extremely traumatic experience. In order for people to actually be supported...

California Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law
Master of Laws in Taxation

Practice Areas
Will and Living Trust Drafting
Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directives
Estate Planning Review
Will and Trust amendments and updates
Estate, Gift, Income, and Property Tax planning
Techniques for avoiding probate
Probates - Represent Executors and Administrators in Probate
Represent Trustee in Trust Administration
Email: DanielWilson@TrustLaw.us

Professional Associations and Memberships
Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation, Board Member
Rancho Bernardo Business Association
Probate Bench?Bar Committee
San Diego County Bar Association
North County Estate Planning Council
San Diego North County Bar Association
Personal Philosophy
Daniel has a passion for working with people and assisting them achieve their goals. He provides clear and simple...

Mrs. Geiger’s practice is located in Carlsbad, California. Her practice focuses on Estate Planning, Asset Protection, Business Planning, Elder Law, Trust Administration, and Probate. She obtained her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law where she served as an Editor for the San Diego International Law Journal and published a law review article. She has also authored multiple books on Trusts, Elder Law and Business Law topics and is an active member of the North County San Diego Bar Association, the North County Estate Planning Council and is a member of the editorial committee for the...

As a former business owner myself, my goal is to help other business owners and entrepreneurs with their legal issues. It's important to have someone in your corner who understands what it's like to be in your shoes. Advice is only helpful if it makes sense in the real world, and my prior experience allows me to see the real world implications.

Before law school, I opened a small coffee shop that I grew into a full-fledged restaurant within four years. In the beginning, I was able to use marketing to help grow the business over 200% from year to...

Mr. Kouretchian provides strategic counseling and customized legal service to individuals, families, entrepreneurs, estates and businesses. He specializes in the areas of Wills and Trusts and Corporate/Business Law (Formation, Governance, Finance).

Tina has dissolved Gehres Law Group to focus on building a NFP organization, YesHope.org. She is no longer taking clients. Thank you for your patronage.

Mr. O'Connell leads a small firm of professionals specializing in real estate issues, business, corporations, limited liability companies, estates, and trust administration. He has more than 30 years of experience in these areas and is fully equipped to advise clients regarding their options and risks in these troubling economic times.

Mr. O'Connell speaks frequently at continuing education seminars on topic including the emerging issues in limited liability companies and legal ethics.

Mr. O'Connell served in the U.S. Army Security Agency from 1968 to 1972, serving in Turkey and Germany.

Paul Hilton is committed to the idea of “service to country” which translates into the work he does for his clients. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Magna Cum Laude, Paul Hilton began his practice in the San Diego area and is licensed to practice law in California’s state and federal courts.

A retired Marine, Paul finds that his law career allows him to pair his passion with his purpose within his home community. During his time in law school, he was awarded the Veterans Assistance scholarship and served as the Executive Editor of Law Review. As a lawyer,...

Nicole Heffel is a distinguished attorney based in San Diego. A “Rising Star” with just over four years of experience, Ms. Heffel has already built a name for herself in estate planning and probate law and has garnered a reputation as a staunch advocate for veterans. A former member of the U.S. Navy, her practice focuses on comprehensive estate planning, veteran benefits, and asset protection services. Among numerous other honors, Ms. Heffel has received the Women Resiliency Award by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in 2015 and the Trailblazer Award from the California Department of Veteran Affairs in 2016.

Professional Life: California State Bar member, Asaph Abrams represents individuals, families and businesses in obtaining federal bankruptcy protection. He has filed over 650 successful bankruptcy cases in San Diego and has been co-chair of the San Diego County Bar's Bankruptcy Law Section. He has parted ways with the large law firm sector to focus personally on clients in need. He offers sliding-scale rates to make bankruptcy an affordable solution for all San Diegans. Asaph volunteers and is active in the legal community through the San Diego County Bar Association and the National Association of Consumer...

My practice focuses on estate planning, trust administration, and probate and estate litigation. I have diverse experience in the areas of wills, trusts, business formation, federal and state taxation, and estate litigation. His litigation clients include individual and professional trustees, beneficiaries, surviving spouses, care givers, and omitted heirs. Prior to joining Albence and Associates, APC, I practiced at a major securities litigation firm headquartered in San Diego. I was involved in a variety of complex litigation cases, including mortgage backed securities cases and post-merger derivative suits. This diverse litigation experience in multi-party, national scale cases, blends...

Juanita Guillen-Mellman is a co-founding partner of Mellman & Mellman LLP, a law firm that has represented clients in various legal matters, including estate planning and probate, family law, real property, civil litigation and estate litigation. As an attorney licensed to practice in all California state and federal courts, Ms. Guillen-Mellman has gained extensive litigation experience by conducting and successfully arguing hundreds of motions, trials, and other hearings. Attorney Guillen-Mellman is well versed in what it takes to obtain results, both in and out of court. At Mellman & Mellman, LLP attorney Juanita Guillen-Mellman is an integral part of the...

Carolyn R. Brock graduated from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in December of 1994 where she was on the National Deans List from 1991 - 1993, and a member of the San Diego Justice Journal law review writing staff from 1992 - 1993. Ms. Brock is admitted to practice before the courts of California, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Carolyn was certified as a legal specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization on June...

Antonio Gastélum is a partner at MEG International Counsel, PC, and until recently, the principal of an independent Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), exclusively dedicated to international estate, business, and financial planning. Antonio is a law graduate of the Universidad de Monterrey, in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. He obtained his master's degree in Comparative Law and Business Planning from the University of San Diego School of Law, as well as his Chartered Life Underwriter designation from the American College of Financial Services.

Antonio Gastélum is a licensed attorney in Mexico and Texas, but not in California. In Texas, he leads the firm’s...

Our operation is focused on providing cost effective solutions and expert customer service to all our clients. In addition to real estate, the firm represents clients in business litigation, construction defect problems, estate planning, arbitrations and mediations. We want our clients to fully understand the legal process and what will be involved in finding a constructive result to their legal issue. I am very active in the legal and real estate community. I continue to educate myself on the most up to date information within my field. I maintain active memberships with both local and national groups in the industry....

Kevin Forrester has more than 20 years experience as a trust and fiduciary lawyer, arbitrator, and mediator of civil, securities, and real estate disputes; and more than 30 years real estate practice experience as a Realtor® and licensed real estate broker.

At the Law Office of Matthew & Julia Kaemerle, L.L.P., we provide our clients with the personalized, experienced, and committed legal counsel that they deserve when facing a challenging legal matter. Our Carlsbad Family Law Attorneys have handled a wide variety of issues related to complex, high-asset divorces, contested custody and visitation cases, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, as well as non-traditional family formation and dissolution. Our team will work with you to find the right strategy for your situation and will come up with solutions that address your goals and needs.

Additionally, we offer legal assistance in the areas of...

Assly Sayyar is an attorney practicing with Assly Sayyar, Attorney at Law, Inc. which maintains offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and San Diego County, California. She is a skilled and diligent attorney who has been practicing as a trial attorney since 2004. Originally born in England, Assly’s family immigrated to the U.S. when she was a child. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Rhetoric from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2000. Assly moved to Las Vegas where she attended the William S. Boyd School of Law. After graduating from law school Cum Laude in 2004, Assly...

Hi... My name is Ralph Charles Busch. Please call me Chad. I have been providing state & local (SALT) corporate income/franchise and capital tax technical consulting and controversy assistance for the past two decades.

?I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Arizona State University in 1989 and my Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Western State University School of Law (now Thomas Jefferson School of Law) in 1993. After a short period running a sole practice, I attended University of San Diego School of Law and obtained an LL.M. in taxation in 1999.

?For the past 16 years I have provided...

San Diego Esquire was founded by Ms. Kymeshia Morris in 2012. She has built a law practice that focuses on providing personal attention and candid legal advice to clients. San Diego Esquire is established on the belief that each and every client deserves the best legal representation possible. If you are looking for a lawyer that is hard working, professional, and honest, then you have come to the right place. We represent a diverse clientele in family, estate planning, personal injury & contract law.

Darshan Patel is an entrepreneur as well as an attorney. He has deep knowledge of the hospitality industry, gained through his work as an owner and manager of independent and franchised hotel properties.

Leading a team of hospitality attorneys at DPA Law Group, Darshan combines his operational insights with an understanding of federal and state law when resolving disputes involving hotels, restaurants, and other businesses across the state of California.

He understands the practical business need to minimize employment litigation through management training and other preventative measures. As a defense lawyer, he focuses on the efficient and timely resolution of employment and...

Originally from Colorado, Kevan attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. There he double majored in Political Science and Economics with a Special International Emphasis. After his undergraduate, Kevan moved to San Francisco, California to attend the Golden Gate University School of Law. While in law school he specialized in tax law, earning a Specialization Certificate in Tax Law with distinction. Kevan also served as the Executive Articles Editor of the Golden Gate University Law Review and co-authored an article published in the thirty-eighth volume of the Golden Gate University Law Review with Jessica L. Hannah. Kevan was...

Merwyn J. Miller is an estate planning attorney with an active law office in Encinitas, San Diego County, California. (Encinitas is located in the north coastal area of San Diego County, half way between Del Mar and Oceanside. It is adjacent to the following communities: Cardiff, Carlsbad, Del Mar, La Costa, Leucadia, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, Solana Beach, and Vista. (Click here for a map showing the location of Encinitas.)

He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1974 and has been certified by that organization’s Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust,...

Mara Allard has a proven track record of success advancing claims for clients in probate courts throughout the state. At Allard Smith A Professional Law Corporation, she represents executors, heirs, trustees, trust beneficiaries and family members in probate petitions, will contests, breach of trust, financial elder abuse claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, quiet title actions, real property disputes and contested actions related to guardianships, conservatorships and powers of attorney.

Senior partner at Borg Norris and Corrigan

Life Long California resident serving the Carlsbad area for 45 years

Graduate of Lynwood SDA Academy Vietnam Veteran -- Gasoline Truck Driver Former Realtor in California Business owner, Real Estate Redeveloper ,and General Counsel to the Health Care Industry including hospitals and off site clinics. We have prosecuted and defended numerous malpractice cases.

Currently General Counsel to Spinergy Inc a carbon fiber wheel manufacturer

Professional Affiliations with Brig. Gen. David M. Brahms USMC Ret . A significant percentage of clients are professionals including Lawyers. We are Lawyers for Lawyers.

Our wide...