Lawyer in Orange County, California
Over 30 Years of Experience in Probate and Estate Planning
At the office of Arnie Blakely, Attorney at Law, in Costa Mesa, we have worked with individuals and families in probate and estate planning matters for over three decades. Because we have handled a broad range of estate planning and probate issues, we understand the different strategies that can be employed and the ways these matters can be successfully resolved. We will listen carefully to your concerns and help you identify solutions that are tailored to your individualized needs. Contact our office or call us at 714-881-2579 x2122 for an appointment.
Our Trust and Probate Administration Practice
We work extensively with trustees of private trusts, drafting the documents necessary to execute the trust, overseeing the actions necessary to fully implement the trusts, and advising clients regarding the management and distribution of assets in a trust, including post-death trust administration. We also represent trustees or trust beneficiaries in legal actions against trustees who have violated the terms of a trust.
We handle all matters necessary to take a will to court and successfully settle an estate, filing the necessary documents to initiate the process and acting as the representative of estates in all proceedings with the court, beneficiaries, or with creditors of the deceased. We will help you prepare and file an accounting of the assets of the estate, secure property valuations when necessary, satisfy all final debts and tax obligations of the estate, and oversee the orderly distribution of the assets of the estate. We also handle most types of probate and trust litigation. See our page on civil litigation to learn more.
Our Estate Planning Practice
We will work closely with you to establish and implement an estate plan that addresses your specific situation and resolves concerns such as:
- whether you should use a will or a trust to accomplish your estate planning goals
- whether your trust should be revocable or irrevocable, or whether it should be a living or a testamentary trust
- how your minor children will be taken care of in the event of your death
- how much of your estate will be lost to creditors or to estate or inheritance taxes
We will carefully explain the different estate planning strategies to you and help you select the tools that best help you meet your objectives. We will then prepare all the necessary documents to put your estate plan in place, including:
- wills
- trusts (many different types of trusts, including revocable living trusts, and irrevocable insurance trusts)
- powers of attorney
- advance health care powers of attorney
We will work closely with you throughout the process to identify strategies to minimize income and estate tax liability.
To schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced lawyer, contact us or call us at 714-881-2579 x2122. We have a voice mail service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our office is located just off the Bristol exit on the 405 freeway, near the South Coast Plaza shopping center.