A will is typically just one part of a properly designed estate plan. If you do not have a will, your estate will pass “intestate” according to the laws of California.
However, even if you have a will or choose to have one drafted on your behalf, there are a few things you should know.
Read our blog post ‘Is a Handwritten Will Effective?‘
If you have minor children, a will is used to determine guardianship if both parents have passed. This keeps your family from waging war with each other over the care of your children and allows them to expend their energy on the children’s behalf instead.
A will speaks only upon your death, so any matter that occurs while you are still alive will not be affected by the execution of a valid will.
It will not keep your estate out of the probate court. Simply, it is a set of instructions to the probate court on how you would like your estate to pass, rather than passing according to the State’s intestacy laws. You should know that the probate process can take an extended amount of time and have excessive costs.
A will alone can handle some aspects of your estate, but not all. In a comprehensive plan, the will is used in conjunction with a revocable living trust to protect your estate. This type of will is often called a pour-over will. Visit our pour-over will page to learn more on how that document can benefit your estate plan.
We will prepare a legal document to provide clear instructions on what should happen to all your assets according to your wishes after death. It can prevent family feuds over property and other finances.
We’ll guide you in choosing a power of attorney (POA) and explain what legal decisions can be made by the person assigned. It’s the best way to protect your finances, property, or medical care.
This includes Revocable Living Trust, Irrevocable Trust, Testamentary Trust, and Special Needs Trust.
Our professional team will ensure that a pour-over will is in place to capture any assets that are not included in your living trust or that weren’t transferred initially. It’s always better to play it safe and make sure everything is handled accordingly.
If something should happen to you and you can no longer make decisions, you’ll want to make sure that somebody has your best interest at heart and follows your instructions for any healthcare needs. Our team will create the legal healthcare documents needed to give you peace of mind.
Everyone I dealt with in this office was kind and professional. My attorneys Jim and Tori were exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful to me. Thank you Filippi Law Firm.
So very appreciative of all the staff they are all amazing!!!! It took me a few years thinking about getting a trust. Once I met the team I was amazing how much knowledge and comfort they gave me then I was wondered what took me so long you ask? Well I found a 5 star company and employee, trust me I did all your homework and searching for you, don’t wait take the step and move forward, you can call with any questions trust me I had plenty, extremely patient and return calls or emails promptly. I have preferred numberous people to them. They also have male and female attornies. Thank you so kindly to all!
Mr. Filippi and Ms. Votino were prompt and professional. Tori was very respectful of my time which resulted in a quick process and a refund of more than what I expected from my original deposit. The potential plaintiff also received a significant amount less than what they were asking for regarding a real estate transaction. I will definitely use again to update my trust.
We used Filippi Law firm for out trust needs. Everyone we worked with was professional, friendly and very thorough. Whether we met in person or virtually we never felt rushed and they took the time to explain everything to us. I would highly recommend them for your trust needs.
Filippi Law Firm was simply exceptional at revising my trust. It is the second time I’ve revised it and they did it for less than a quarter of what I paid for the first one (and this one was more complicated).
I have no doubt this is my last revision as they were thorough and addressed questions that I had not thought about prior to working with their firm.
I cannot recommend Filippi law firm more highly!
With gratitude,
RT
I really enjoyed meeting Jim Filippi and his team. Although, we had to hold off on doing our estate planning for now, we will definitely use Filippi Law Firm in the next year or two. Jim impressed me with his presentation, and his character. Jim came across as decent, humble, and honest. These are qualities that are sorely lacking in our society in 2025, much less among lawyers and politicians. I think Jim has carefully built his business or firm over many years and is keen to maintain its excellent reputation, and overall integrity. He is a former policeman and fireman who has not forgotten his working class roots and commitment to public service.
