Trusts & Estates Lawyer Serving the San Francisco Bay Area

A MAP. Thomas believes every estate plan should be based on a map deeply rooted in the most current law and time tested best practices. Life is like being on a boat in the ocean, and your plan should be built to withstand its ever changing and unpredictable nature. With this in mind, Thomas counsels you on the importance of considering the implementation of four primary instruments to create an enduring plan for life and death: a will, a trust, an advance health care directive, and a power of attorney. He listens attentively to your wishes and employs his knowledge to help craft an estate plan specifically tailored for your life’s journey.

A LIFE SAVER. Thomas understands how the competing interests on your time, money, and attention to things that may not happen in your life or are inevitably out of your control can result in never having an estate plan. Some people may seek do-it-yourself or one-size-fits-all legal services, and miss the big picture on how to spot how the individual parts of these plans do not work as a whole for them. Thomas designs his law practice to suit your particular needs by offering free initial consultations, reasonable flat rate fees for bundled packages, and outstanding service so you can feel rest assured that you have the estate plan made just for you.

A CHAMPION. Thomas knows that people who have a trust, have chosen a champion to administer the trust during their incapacity, and likewise, the trust and the estate upon their passing. That person, or persons may be a trustee, executor, attorney-in-fact, or health care agent. Similarly, Thomas understands that people who have an inadequate estate plan or no plan at all when they die, need a champion to administer the estate upon their passing in a probate administration. That person will be a personal representative, who may be an executor of a will or an administrator without one. If you find yourself playing one of these roles, Thomas can advise you on your rights and responsibilities as well as guide you through the process. Probably the most sought after services in trust and estate administration are when a creator of a trust, or a person with an inadequate estate plan or no plan at all has died, and a trustee or personal representative needs to know what to do next. The primary tasks that must be taken care of are, an inventory of assets and liabilities, a paying of debts, expenses, and taxes, a recording and filing of necessary documents with the government, and a distribution of assets to the beneficiaries. Thomas can keep you on track to meet the various deadlines and to cover all the tasks that need to be completed.