Celebrate Your Legacy With A Customized Estate Plan From A Specialist

At The Brooke Law Group, PC, we treat every client as an individual with unique needs. We know the importance of getting all of the details right and explaining which options will best suit your needs. After all, this is not just a collection of legal documents; it is protection for your family and a guardian of your legacy.

Attorney Darrell Brooke is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law. He is the only estate planning lawyer in Monrovia with this certification. He provides crucial skills in California estate planning law, and he also provides experienced guidance in related matters such as elder law, tax concerns, conservatorships and business planning. You will receive a knowledgeable, well-rounded representation that takes into consideration all of your present and future needs.

Let Us Help You With All Elements Of Your Customized Estate Plan

Our Monrovia and San Bernardino estate planning lawyers provide each client with individualized estate planning services. They start with the cornerstone of estate plans by creating a will and, in many cases, a trust. A will lays the foundation for your estate plan and allows you to appoint executors or administrators, specify guardians for minor children and distribute your assets according to your wishes. Additionally, our firm will help you with passing on larger or more complex assets by creating a trust. We will explain the difference and discuss what type of trust may be best for you.

We will also draft powers of attorney and health care directives, making sure that they clearly state your final wishes for the handling of your estate and your end-of-life health care. And if you own a business, we can assist you with business planning.

The Los Angeles Estate Planning Process

Many people put off estate planning because they don’t know how to start and are not sure which documents they’ll need. Thankfully, our estate planning lawyers in Los Angeles can guide you through the process and help you obtain all the information you need. Below, we’ve provided an overview of the process of planning your estate with the help of our skilled lawyers:

1. Initial consultation: Your journey begins with a meeting where one of our attorneys will discuss your goals, answer your questions, and explain the legal tools that are available to you.
2. Evaluating your assets: Together, you will review your assets, including property, investments and personal items, to fully understand what will be part of your estate.
3. Understanding your needs and goals: It’s important to consider who you want to inherit your assets, how you wish to distribute them and who will make decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so. Your attorney will also ask you about your goals for estate planning, including minimizing taxes, providing for loved ones with special needs or passing a closely held business to the next generation.
4. Drafting documents: Your attorney will draft any necessary documents mentioned earlier on this page, and all will be tailored to your specific needs.
5. Review and revision: You will have the opportunity to review all documents to ensure they accurately reflect your wishes. Revisions can be made until you’re completely satisfied.
6. Finalizing your plan: Once everything is in order, you will sign your documents in the presence of the required witnesses or a notary public per California law.

As life changes, so might your estate plan. At any time in the future, your attorney can help you make updates as needed to accommodate new circumstances.

Special Estate Planning Consideration For High Net Worth Families

Estate planning can become more complex for high-asset individuals and high net worth families, such as those who have $1M in assets as an individual or $2.5M in assets as a couple. With such an extensive amount of wealth on the line, people need to know exactly what options they have and what legal tools they can use to streamline the process for their families.

The goals for each specific estate plan will be unique from case to case, but many high net worth couples are seeking to preserve their wealth, reduce their tax burden and ensure that their money actually goes to their family members. They may also be interested in preventing estate disputes, which are common when significant assets are passed down to the next generation. All of this is possible with the right estate plan.

If you are considering making an estate plan this year, here are a few tips that can help if you have significant assets:

1. Conduct regular reviews any time that your assets or your family situation changes – such as after a divorce or the sale of a family business.
2. If you have specific goals for an inheritance, consider putting it in a trust. Trusts give you more control and more privacy.
3. Think about how life insurance policies may be incorporated into the estate plan, remembering that the life insurance policy has its own beneficiary designation.
4. Make a succession plan to transfer ownership of the company to family members or a third party.
5. Set up a plan for philanthropy, which can be advantageous from a tax perspective and also allow you to give money to charity.

As you go through this process, it can help to work with an experienced legal team. Our practice began in 1985, and we have decades of combined experience, so we can help you explore all of the specific legal tools you will need to create the optimal estate plan.

When To Contact A California Estate Planning Attorney

Many people assume they don’t need to think about estate planning because they are young, or even middle-aged. Others assume they don’t have enough assets to justify an estate plan. But here’s the truth: If you are an adult with any assets or loved ones you want to protect, now is the perfect time to start planning your estate.

You can think of estate planning as a process rather than a final product. By hiring an estate planning lawyer now, you can begin an attorney-client relationship that could last for decades. You can have an existing estate plan at every stage of life that provides legal protection and peace of mind. As circumstances change, your attorney can help you make updates. Some milestones and events that warrant revisiting your existing plan include:

• The birth of your children or the death of a close family member
• Marriage or divorce
• Acquisition of significant property (like buying a house or gaining an inheritance)
• Moving to a different state, which may have different estate planning laws
• Whenever there are changes in existing estate laws

Beyond these major events, you may just want to revisit and review your estate plan every few years to ensure that it continues to reflect both your circumstances and your wishes. Our Monrovia estate planning attorneys can help you update an existing estate plan even if another firm drafted the original.

Guiding Clients Through Probate And Providing Representation In Estate Litigation

We know that drafting the estate plan is only the beginning of the process. That is why our estate planning lawyers in Pasadena also provide services in:

• Estate administration: Our firm assists with the administration or probate of a loved one’s estate. Depending on the size of the estate, probate can be quite complex, and most people find that an attorney’s counsel is necessary. We can also help you with sensitive matters such as conservatorships and guardianships.
• Estate disputes: Sometimes heirs and beneficiaries do not agree on how an estate should be divided or how it should be handled by the executors or trustees. When disputes arise, we can protect your interests in these contentious situations.

No matter what your needs may be, our firm stands ready to assist you.

Additional Resources Related To Los Angeles Estate Planning

Estate planning laws and tax regulations are constantly changing. In 2024, for instance, the IRS increased the estate and gift tax exclusion from $12.92 million to $13.61 million, and the annual gift tax exemption rose from $17,000 to $18,000 per person. These specific changes have allowed Californians to pass on more of their estate wealth to heirs and beneficiaries rather than having to spend that money on taxes. Because the legal landscape changes regularly, it’s important to seek an experienced attorney’s help when creating an estate plan and to review and update your plan periodically. Read more: Navigating California estate planning changes in 2024

As noted earlier on this page, estate planning has especially high stakes for wealthy families. Even seemingly small details are greatly magnified when the size of a given estate is larger than normal. Strategic use of trusts, tax planning and other tools can keep large estates out of probate and help wealthy families preserve more of their assets for future generations and charitable giving. Read more: What should affluent Californians consider in estate planning?

If you have grandchildren, you’ll likely want to include them as heirs and beneficiaries in your estate plan. How and whether you do this, however, will depend on factors like their age, future plans, overall financial stability and their ability to manage their own money. It’s also important to be transparent about your plans with the entire family to minimize the risk of misunderstanding or resentments. Read more: Should you include your grandchildren in your estate plans?

A Track Record Of Protecting People’s Legacies

Over the course of his career, attorney Brooke has focused on protecting the legacies of his Monrovia neighbors and of clients throughout the greater Los Angeles metro area. Here are some testimonials from his clients:

“Darrell Brooke was the estate planning attorney working on my late mom’s trust. My family was very difficult to work with, but Darrell helped keep emotions out of the proceedings and he ensured that my inheritance was secure through the entire process. I relied upon his guidance and everything turned out very well. I’m so happy that I was able to have Darrell on my side to help me through all the difficult times over the past 2.5 years.” Jessica Kelgard

“Darrell is absolutely a professional. He’s great at what he does and he knows what he is doing. He has provided us with a sense of security and peace of mind regarding our assets as well as additional protection preventing any ascending liabilities. I would not hesitate to refer him.” Dr. Peter Young, DDS

You can view additional testimonies about attorney Brooke’s estate planning acumen here.

Secure And Honor Your Legacy By Getting Started Today

Each estate plan we create is guided by our clients’ specific needs and goals. You can be certain that we will craft a thorough plan that addresses your requirements and wishes. Please contact us online or by phone at 626-471-5519 to arrange a consultation. We can meet in person, by phone or through video chat.