Estate Planning

First and foremost, estate planning is about values. Your values! Clients often think that estate planning is just about how to divide their property after they pass away. Others think that estate planning is just about saving taxes. Both are wrong.

Good estate planning is about you. We will work with you to explore your values and counsel you on questions important to you and your family.

There are more important issues in estate planning than taxes.

For example:

• Who will make medical decisions for me if I can not? Do I want to be kept on prolonged life support?
• Who will be the guardian of my children? Someone I chose or not?
• Will my children share my religious beliefs?
• How can I pass along my values with my property?
• How can I leave my assets fairly (if not equally) to my children?
• Should I leave something for my grandchildren and/or charity?

The Sheffield Law Office is unique among law firms because we take the time to understand your needs. Our firm strives to provide caring and compassionate client service.

We spend time getting to know your family and what is important to you. Only then can we design and update plans that are relevant to your family’s specific needs.

The Sheffield Law Office provides solutions for a variety of client goals including:

• Ensuring the surviving spouse has the ability to maintain their lifestyle with the least restrictions
• Minimizing potential family conflicts regarding your healthcare and property distributions
• Ensuring your children are raised by your choice of guardian
• Protecting a child’s inheritance from divorce, creditors and bad judgment
• Ensuring business continuity or maximizing the value upon the sale of the business after the death or disability of the owner
• Planning to avoid property tax reassessment
• Avoiding unnecessary costs, delays and loss of privacy associated with probate
• Eliminating estate taxes
• Leaving a social or community legacy

The Sheffield Law Office also handles conservatorship proceedings and Medi-Cal qualification planning services for elderly clients and their families.