I hired Jennifer Jaynes to handle my mother's trust administration. Jennifer expertly guided me and…read morethe trust administrators through all aspects of the case from start to finish. Jennifer created a clear plan from the outset and followed-though to completion with very little help from the administrators, who continuously raised non-issues, to put it mildly. Jennifer kept everyone on track. She gave us peace of mind by discussing and answering all of our questions clearly, concisely and authoritatively. Her professionalism was key in helping the administrators understand and fulfill their roles. Most impressive was Jennifer's ability to remember all of the facts, legal issues, timelines, next steps and other important details of the case. She made me feel like I was her most important client. Jennifer's credentials are on-point. She is recognized by the California State Bar as a specialist in Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Law. Specialist designation by the California State Bar requires demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of the entire practice area. She holds an advanced law degree (LLM) in Taxation, which gives her the practical and theoretical knowledge needed to prepare, structure and administer trusts and estates while preserving wealth. I have been a successful, full-time, practicing attorney for over 30 years in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and can confirm that Jennifer is a superb attorney. She has my highest recommendation and respect.

I would like to thank Ms.Jennifer Jaynes for all of her work, excellent guidance & advice in…read moresetting up my living trust and Tenancy In Common (TIC) agreement. Ms. Jaynes was referred to me by an excellent attorney for her expertise in wealth management. Ms. Jaynes is very professional, responsive, organized, process driven and a pleasure to work with. She has earned my confidence, trust and met & exceeded my expectations. I have happily recommended Ms.Jennifer Jaynes services to many friends & associates.

I've worked with Kristen on several estate plans and projects and have been very happy every time…read more She makes complex issues easy to understand in conversation and in the trusts and other documents she writes. The latter is super important because successor trustees have to be able to know what they are supposed to do. If they don't they might execute wrong or have to pay a lot to have another attorney interpret it. Her prices are good especially for such a high quality attorney. She's a joy to know and work with!

From the owner: Elder Law; Estate Planning (wills, trusts, DPOAs, AHCDs); Trust Administration and Probate; Public…read moreBenefits (SS; VA; Medi-Cal; SSI); Special Needs Trusts; Limited Conservatorships

I had an l estate planning program with Ms Conradi and would recommend her as very competent and…read moreprofessional.

We had our meeting with Ms. Laura Patton. She is an amazing, and a kind…read more person. She listened to our struggles and pain and she was very compassionate. I truly trusted her advice and knowledge of our situation. She was very patient and took time to hear us out and did not rush us. I wish she could represent us because she has a big heart for people who are being taken advantage off, especially elderly, and wants justice for people. You are lucky if you are being represented by her. Also, she was not solely focus on money, but kindness and support.

From the owner: Laura Patton is the go-to expert attorney for estate matters in the East Bay - helping families…read morewhen they have lost a loved one and need legal expertise to find and transfer assets to heirs. She uses her years of experience to craft a custom road map for each situation, and her clients love that she provides flat fees determined and capped in advance, instead of surprise hourly bills at the end of a matter as is common in the legal industry. - Laura limits her caseload so she can provide a high level of service to each client. If your case is accepted, Laura's goal is to help you get the project done in the most efficient way, with a minimum of needless paperwork. Whether you are the Trustee of a Trust, Executor of a Will, or the one in charge when no Will can be found, Laura can help. - She provides personal attention, a high level of expertise, and clear guidance to make sure your fiduciary responsibilities are handled with professionalism. - Laura can also help obtain a Court Order to avoid a full Probate case when a person dies with a Trust but their home or large brokerage account was not correctly titled in the Trust. - Because Laura's practice is virtual, she serves clients all over California using video conferences, phone, and email. The bulk of her clients are in the seven San Francisco Bay Area counties: Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Solano, and Santa Clara.

Rafa is professional and provides quick excellent service. I needed a few documents notarized for a…read morebackground check and he was able to squeeze me in on short notice. He treats you like family while getting the job done. I highly recommend him for all your legal needs.

From the owner: Experience is part of developing a successful law practice, and at Godoy Legal people from the San…read moreFrancisco Bay Area get the skilled legal advice and representation they’re looking for when they need an attorney. We specialize in Probate and Estate Planning. English and Spanish speaking. Notary services available.

As the year comes to a close you consider all the adulting tasks you need to take care of. Any…read morechanges throughout the year will mean updated legal documents. We scheduled an appointment - conveniently over video, to discuss our legal document needs. Tracy listened to our needs , gave us advice, and immediately got to work. She came to our home to present the documents, notarize signatures, and we were finished, easy peasy. Professional, knowledgeable, fast, and convenient. Yes, I absolutely recommend! Bookmark this one, you may need it someday.

I'm incredibly grateful I chose Tracy to help me finish my divorce paperwork. Her pricing was fair,…read moreshe stayed on top of everything, and she helped get my divorce finalized in just a couple of weeks. Life gets busy, and I had started the process but needed someone reliable to see it through. Tracy stepped in and took that responsibility seriously. Even after my dissolution was initially rejected, she reassured me she would stick by my side until everything was properly submitted, and she truly kept her word. If you're considering working with her, don't hesitate. She's professional, dependable, and genuinely committed to getting the job done right. Highly recommend!

Matthew Talbot was my lawyer in my Financial Elder Abuse case. After paying him over $80,000, he…read morewas disqualified by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Virginia M. George. Mr. Talbot failed to disclose to me that he previously met with the person I was suing and discussed my case with her. Mr. Talbot said the he misspelled the other persons name and therefore, she did not show up on his client file. After Judge George looked at the evidence provided by the person I was suing, the Judge determined that Mr. Talbot did in fact discuss my case with her and therefore, she disqualified him. I hired another attorney, but after spending another $20,000 on the new attorney, I realized I did not have the funds to get the new attorney up to speed. Mr. Talbot did offer to only reimburse me for $20,000, but later rescinded his offer. Although my being a disabled first responder injured in the line of duty and a senior citizen, Mr. Talbot displayed no compassion or remorse for his error. Nor did he want to make things right. Please feel free to get Mr. Talbot's side of the story should you decide to interview him to represent you. My Contra Costa County Court case number is P22-01239. Mr. Talbot's disqualification is noted in the court records.

Matt represented my brother, who is now dead, on an estate matter that ultimately had a most…read moresatisfactory resolution. Good things come to those who are patient. Matt did great!

It's taken me some time to write this, but our experience with Grant at Advance Planning is truly…read moreworth sharing. From the moment we called, we felt genuinely welcomed. During the call, everything was explained clearly--if we agreed to move forward, we simply needed to fill out a form and schedule an in-person appointment, which made the process smooth and straightforward. At our in-person appointment, Grant was professional, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. He was upfront, clear, and provided all the details we needed to make an informed decision--so we moved forward without hesitation. He patiently answered all of my mom's questions and gave thoughtful advice that truly had her best interest at heart. From the moment we arrived, his down-to-earth personality made us feel comfortable. It's clear that he genuinely cares about helping families through these important matters. We're truly grateful for his guidance and highly recommend his services to anyone looking for someone kind, trustworthy, and experienced. (Para quienes hablan español, comparto nuestra experiencia a continuación en español.) Me tomó un tiempo sentarme a escribir esto, pero nuestra experiencia con Grant en Advance Planning realmente merece ser compartida. Desde el momento en que llamamos, nos hicieron sentir muy bienvenidos. Durante la llamada, todo fue explicado con claridad--si decidíamos seguir adelante, solo teníamos que llenar un formulario y agendar una cita en persona, lo cual hizo que el proceso fuera sencillo y organizado. En nuestra cita en persona, Grant fue profesional, conocedor del tema y muy accesible. Fue directo, claro, y nos brindó toda la información necesaria para tomar una decisión bien informada--por eso seguimos adelante sin dudarlo. Respondió con paciencia todas las preguntas de mi mamá y ofreció consejos muy acertados, siempre pensando en lo que era mejor para ella. Desde que llegamos, su personalidad sencilla nos hizo sentir cómodos. Se nota que realmente le importa ayudar a las familias con estos temas importantes. Estamos muy agradecidos por su orientación y recomendamos mucho sus servicios a quienes buscan a alguien amable, confiable y con experiencia.

My aunt recommended Grant to my mom and I. We were quite impressed by his ability to ease our…read moreminds. His relaxed demeanor, and knowledge of the laws, left little doubt that we were in good hands. He has an empathetic understanding of a person's predicament, while using his professionalism to act upon his client's behalf. -Yolanda Maciorski

Unethical practices include couching misstatements of hearings by the presiding judge. Double…read morebilling by intra-office consults. Excessive litigation in order to maximize billing. False statements are made expecting the court will not catch them and if the judge does, they just say inadvertant mistake, when in actuality is was purposeful. Skating on the fine line between illegal or just unethical.

This is only the 4th law firm I've dealt with, but they are the only one I cannot recommend…read more Communication and follow-up have been atrocious. I was recommended them by another lawyer for the purposes of setting up trusts for my niece and nephew. It was communicated quite clearly that this was my highest priority, but it is now 3 months later, and as far as I'm aware, nothing has been done. They have, however, managed to bill/charge me and my fiancé a ton of money (2-3x more than others have quoted) for incomplete Advanced Health Care directives and Estate plans (that were lower priorities for us). The lawyer we deal with is pleasant and seems competent, and I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt during this pandemic, but so far they have completely dropped the ball. I will update this review if they manage to get their $hit together.