Estates and Trusts

Estate planning is simply creating your personal plan for your property, person, and family in the event of your disability and after your death. California has a built-in estate plan for you and it likely isn’t what you want. The Ballard Law Corporation transforms the state’s plan into your personal plan. Watch for upcoming webinars and seminars on general and specialized topics.

Families and individuals in Temecula, the Inland Empire, and throughout California have trusted Ronald Ballard for decades, and now, The Ballard Law Corporation, to guide them through these critical and sensitive decisions. We are experts in wills, trusts, and estates, having served clients with eight-figure estates to negative net worth. We help families ensure that their intentions are known and their wishes are carried out. Estate planning uses wills, trusts, and other entities as tools to meet your goals. Our team can help you:

• Protect personal, business, and retirement assets
• Plan for illness or incapacity, including advance health care directives
• Avoid probate and the public exposure that goes along with it
• Protect beneficiaries, especially when spending, having special needs or being irresponsible
• Planning for blended families to protect beneficiaries of all family lines
• Pre-nuptial estate planning
• Minimize income, estate, transfer and property taxes
• Provide for charitable and personal gifts
• Pay for medical and long-term care
• Advanced planning approaches, such as charitable and dynasty trusts and LLCs

The need for estate planning is not limited to the very wealthy. Everyone needs some degree of estate planning, even young, single people with modest net worth. Every California business owner and homeowner's estate plan should be trust-based to avoid probate and protect personal privacy. Couples who are getting married with significant assets or children from a prior relationship should establish their estate plan before the wedding so that personal expectations are clear and well-known. A single person without significant assets needs at least a power of attorney for assets and an advance health care directive.

Use our contact form to begin no-fee, no-obligation communications with our team. Or you may schedule a paid consultation to begin directly with an attorney.