Practice Areas
Legal Planning in Temecula, Murrieta, and Hemet, California
Comprehensive estate planning covers nearly every aspect of life. It begins with protecting yourself and your personal dignity, and extends to protecting your loved ones and your hard-earned assets.
Follow the links below to learn more about our Estate Planning Fundamentals, Long-Term Care / Medicaid, Probate & Estate Administration, Charitable Planning, Special Needs, Estate Tax Planning, Business Succession Planning, Asset Protection, Business Formation, Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, and Lien Stripping services provided at the Pickford Law Office:
Fundamental Estate Planning
There are many legal strategies involved in estate planning, including wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care documents.
Learn more about the Estate Planning process.
Long-Term Care / Medicaid
Elder law is another aspect of estate planning, focusing primarily on the needs of families and individuals as they age. Issues of aging include senior housing and home care, long-term (or nursing home) care, guardianships and health care documents, Medicare and Medicaid.
Learn more about planning for Long-Term Care.
Probate and Estate Administration
Probate and estate administration are the processes through which estate assets are transferred after death. Assets to be transferred under terms of a will go through probate. Assets transferred outside of a will, such as by operation of law, or those planned for in a trust are handled through an Administration process. Administration also refers to the process whereby assets are transferred by rules of the state when there is no will. We can help make the process easier, more efficient, and provide peace of mind during a difficult time.
Learn more about Probate and Estate Administration.
Charitable Planning
We encourage and assist the tradition of giving to charitable causes, including the employment of tax-advantaged strategies that maximize the value of your gift. We help clients make charitable gifts and practice good stewardship in the most tax-efficient manner.
Learn more about Charitable Giving Strategies.
Special Needs Planning
Special Needs Estate Planning focuses on providing for the special needs of our loved ones with disabilities when we are no longer there to organize and advocate on their behalf. Parents of children with special needs must make careful estate planning choices to coordinate all of the legal, financial, and special care needs of their children – both now and in the future.
Learn more about California Special Needs.
Estate Tax Planning
Historically speaking, the federal estate tax is an excise tax levied on the transfer of a person's assets after death. In actuality, it is neither a death tax nor an inheritance tax, but more accurately a transfer tax. There are three distinct aspects to federal estate taxes that comprise what is called the Unified Transfer Tax: Estate Taxes, Gift Taxes, and Generation- Skipping Transfer Taxes. Legal planning to avoid or minimize federal estate taxes is both a prudent and an important aspect of comprehensive estate planning.
Learn more about Estate Tax Planning.
Business Succession Planning
Family businesses are the backbone of the American economy. From agriculture to services, technology and manufacturing, family businesses generate an estimated one-half of the U.S. Gross National Product and pay half of all wages earned in this country.
Find out how we can help you preserve your family business.
Asset Protection
Asset protection planning involves making prudent decisions today to protect yourself, your business, and your hard-earned assets from loss due to lawsuits, creditors or bankruptcies.
Find out how we can help you protect your assets today.
Business Formations
Business entities include S-Corporations, C-Corporations, Limited Liability Corporations or partnerships. Pickford Law Office can assist clients in choosing the business entity that will best suit their needs and can assist in drafting any necessary documentation needed to form these entities.
Find out how we can help you form your California business.
Bankruptcy
Our office has experienced attorneys who have helped individuals, families and small businesses in Southwest Riverside County resolve a broad array of financial problems.
Learn more about bankruptcy.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
The United States Constitution authorizes Congress to set Bankruptcy Laws, those laws are referred as the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 7 refers to that chapter which allows you to cancel most of your debts. Chapter 7 is often referred to as a “Liquidation” case because in Chapter 7 the court may take some of your non-exempt property to pay a portion of your debt.
Learn more about chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code refers to that chapter which allows individual debtors with regular income to repay some or all of their debt over a period time.
Learn more about chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Lien Stripping – Discharging Mortgages
With Chapter 13 you can “Strip” a lien on real property. What this means is that you can actually get rid of a second or third mortgage on your home! In order to “Strip” a lien on your home your house has to be worth less than you owe on your first mortgage
Learn more about Lien Stripping.
Copyright © IMS. All rights reserved. You may reproduce materials available at this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement. Some artwork provided under license agreement.