Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Long Beach and the Surrounding Communities
What a Complete Estate Plan Covers
An estate plan is not a single document — it is a coordinated set of legal instruments that work together. At Potier Law Group, we draft and review each of the following based on your specific situation:
- Revocable living trust: Transfers assets to your beneficiaries outside of probate, names a successor trustee to manage the trust if you become incapacitated or pass away, and keeps your affairs private — probate is a public process; a trust is not.
- Pour-over will: Works alongside your trust to capture any assets that were not titled in the trust's name before your death, directing them into the trust rather than into the probate process.
- Durable power of attorney: Authorizes a person you choose to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so yourself.
- Advance healthcare directive: Documents your medical treatment preferences and names a healthcare agent to make decisions on your behalf if you cannot communicate them.
- Beneficiary designations review: Life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and certain bank accounts pass by beneficiary designation — not by will or trust. We review these alongside your plan to make sure everything points in the same direction.
Estate planning is not about anticipating the worst — it is about making sure the people you care about are protected if the worst happens. Without a plan in place, California law decides who inherits your property, who manages your affairs, and who makes medical decisions on your behalf. Those default rules rarely match what most people would actually choose.
A properly drafted estate plan gives you control over those decisions while you are still in a position to make them. It also spares your family from the cost, delay, and conflict that come with navigating an unplanned estate — particularly in California, where probate can take a year or more and consume a meaningful percentage of the estate in court and attorney fees.
Why Estate Planning Is One of the Most Important Legal Steps You Can Take
How Our Estate Planning Process Works
We take the time to understand your family situation, your assets, and what you actually want before a single document is drafted. Most estate plans are completed in two to three meetings, and we explain every document in plain language so you understand what you are signing and why.
Our senior partner has served on the Estate Planning Commission of Long Beach and has practiced real property law since 1996. That background shapes the way we approach estate planning — particularly for clients who own real estate, investment properties, or business interests, where titling decisions and trust funding require careful attention. The same attorney who drafts your plan is available if questions arise later, and if a dispute ever develops — over a trust, an estate, or an inheritance — our firm litigates those matters as well.
Who Should Have an Estate Plan
Estate planning is not only for people with large estates. If any of the following apply to you, a plan is worth having:
- You own real property in California, including a primary residence
- You have minor children and want to name a guardian of your choosing
- You are unmarried and want your assets to go to a specific person or organization
- You have a blended family or a prior marriage that affects how you want your estate distributed
- You own a business or hold an interest in one
- You want to avoid putting your family through the California probate process
- You have a family member with special needs who requires careful planning around inheritance
California's probate threshold is currently $184,500 in gross asset value. Estates above that threshold — including the gross value of real property, not equity — are subject to court-supervised probate unless assets have been properly placed in a trust or transferred by other means.
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Estate Planning Questions We Hear Often
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
For most California homeowners, a trust is the better choice. A will alone does not avoid probate — it simply tells the court how you want your assets distributed. A revocable living trust transfers assets to your beneficiaries directly, without court involvement, which saves time, cost, and the public disclosure that comes with probate.For most California homeowners, a trust is the better choice. A will alone does not avoid probate — it simply tells the court how you want your assets distributed. A revocable living trust transfers assets to your beneficiaries directly, without court involvement, which saves time, cost, and the public disclosure that comes with probate.How much does estate planning cost?
Cost depends on the complexity of your situation — the number of documents needed, whether you own real property, and whether business interests or blended family considerations are involved. We discuss fees at the outset so there are no surprises. Our firm's structure keeps costs lower than what larger firms typically charge for the same documents.Cost depends on the complexity of your situation — the number of documents needed, whether you own real property, and whether business interests or blended family considerations are involved. We discuss fees at the outset so there are no surprises. Our firm's structure keeps costs lower than what larger firms typically charge for the same documents.What happens if I already have a trust but haven't updated it in years?
A trust that was properly drafted years ago may no longer reflect your current assets, family situation, or wishes. We review existing trusts and identify what needs to be updated — whether that is the successor trustee, the beneficiary designations, or the assets held in the trust's name.A trust that was properly drafted years ago may no longer reflect your current assets, family situation, or wishes. We review existing trusts and identify what needs to be updated — whether that is the successor trustee, the beneficiary designations, or the assets held in the trust's name.Can the same attorney handle my estate plan and represent the family if a dispute arises later?
Yes. Potier Law Group drafts estate planning documents and handles trust disputes and probate litigation. If a conflict develops after you are gone — or during your lifetime involving a trust you are a beneficiary of — we can step in without the family needing to find a different firm.Yes. Potier Law Group drafts estate planning documents and handles trust disputes and probate litigation. If a conflict develops after you are gone — or during your lifetime involving a trust you are a beneficiary of — we can step in without the family needing to find a different firm.How long does it take to complete an estate plan?
Most plans are completed within two to three meetings over a few weeks. Urgency is possible when circumstances require it. We do not outsource drafting, so the timeline is within our control from start to finish.Most plans are completed within two to three meetings over a few weeks. Urgency is possible when circumstances require it. We do not outsource drafting, so the timeline is within our control from start to finish.
Ready to Put a Plan in Place?
Estate planning is one of those things that is easy to postpone — and costly to leave undone. Our team works with Long Beach families, property owners, and small business owners to build plans that are clear, legally sound, and built to hold up. Call our office or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation.
Call Potier Law Group:
562-986-9900
You'll hear back from an attorney — not an assistant — the same day.