Estate Planning Solutions

At the Law Offices of Matthew S. Luzaich, we believe that Estate Planning is about more than just money and property. It's about ensuring that your legacy lives on for generations to come. We will work with you to create a customized plan that reflects your values and goals. From Wills and Trusts to charitable giving and business succession planning, we have the expertise you need to protect your assets and leave a lasting impact. Whether you live in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, Sutter, Tehama, or Yuba County, we're here to assist you. 

Why You Should Have an Estate Plan

With a well-considered Estate Plan, you will give specific and enforceable directions about how your estate is to be managed and distributed, and who is in charge. This includes management of your estate and health care decisions even while you are alive, but incapacitated. Your Estate Plan can also be designed to avoid significant expenses imposed from court supervised probate or conservatorship proceedings, providing you and your family with peace of mind and financial benefit. Probate is the court process required by the state when a person passes away with no Trust in place directing how your estate is to be administered. Without a properly designed Estate Plan, state law intervenes and makes decisions regarding your assets for you. State law dictates how your estate is to be distributed, who is in charge, and requires a costly and lengthy court process to carry out these matters, all at family expense. An experienced local Estate Planning Attorney can ensure your affairs are handled in accordance with your wishes.

Most people want to leave their family members with a legacy when they pass. Poor Estate Planning or the absence of any planning often leaves loved ones with an unintended and substantial burden. From the court probate process associated with passing without a Trust, to identifying assets and distributing them according to California law, and the costly court-imposed fees, not having a Plan in place can leave your loved ones navigating a complicated and expensive process in a time of grief. Moreover, estate taxes may apply, depending upon the circumstances, and a properly designed Plan can minimize or even avoid the taxation of your estate, resulting in substantial family savings. An estate with even moderate assets costs more to probate than the cost of having an Estate Planning Attorney execute your wishes for your estate with a Living Trust. You are benefiting both yourself and your loved ones by thinking ahead and putting together a well-designed Estate Plan at a fraction of the cost that your family might have to incur without that Plan in place.

A standard Estate Plan typically includes a Living Trust, Pour Over Will, Power of Attorney, and Advance Health Care Directive. The Estate Planning Attorney will also file changes to your property deeds and Preliminary Change of Ownership forms with the county to ensure the properties are properly held in trust rather than individually.