We recently took our relative to DenHerder & Associates to have a trust prepared. In the past, they created a trust for my parents, and later they prepared our trust as well. On those occasions, we worked primarily with Stacy. This time, we worked with Shima. Both attorneys were excellent - compassionate, understanding, and exceptionally thorough. Everything was explained clearly, and both were patient in answering all of our questions. It was worth every penny for the peace of mind that comes from knowing everything was done correctly. Thank you to the entire team for your outstanding work! read more

Professional, trustworthy. Made us feel very comfortable. Highly recommended. From the receptionist, to the attorney, and the notary, each person was delightful, compassionate, competent and overall great. Easy access to their office, right off the 15 freeway. read more

This law firm was recommended by friends and we are glad we followed up. Planning a trust can be daunting; however, working with Kerah was a very nice experience. She is patient, very kind, and made the whole experience much easier to accomplish. Every person in the office that we dealt with were superb. (Especially the notary whom I suggested she should look into being a stand up comedian, she was efficient and very personable...and adorable.) read more

Finished setting up our Family Trust...put it off for years thinking I was still too young to do it & woke up one day realizing I needed to get it done! I chose this group as my extended family & parents have had their estate planning here. I can remember from my teens navigating through loss & watching my Mom as a Trustee finalize my great grandparents estate. I remember going to the meetings with her, how this firm treated my Family members & decided to go directly with them. This office IS professional & certainly look & are the part. Everyone is professionally dressed, the office is neat, clean & organized. Our attorney Kristin Locke is highly knowledgeable of the law & guided my husband & I through the process. On our final appointment she answered all of our questions, concerns & assured us we can call at anytime when needed. (It is a business & charges may apply but absolutely worth the knowledge & security!) We were given our legal estate binder (pictured below) & it also included copies already made up for me to take to the bank & Title company. Kristen filed our new deed for us with the county. Sophia called to confirm ahead of time, the office sent text message confirmation, & emails about our appointment which I appreciate! The beverages & snacks offered every time we were there was a nice gesture & detail that made us feel at home. I will in turn refer my own children here as the years pass! I can enjoy life a little easier now with the backing of Denherder, Grier & Associates knowing my family will avoid probate for what is rightfully theirs. Sharing my experience to help others avoid the daunting task of finding good attorneys! read more

DenHerder & Associates - Estate Planning Binder - Wills, Trusts, & Probates Near Me - San Diego, California

After further review we found the trust provided by DenHerder was missing 2 amendments by another attorney which the amendments removed the trustee and disinherited same due to the handling of a probate 5 years earlier. Make sure to get all Probate attorney records and phone and email communication with siblings, real estate agent and escrow for accuracy. We experienced so much confusion with DenHerder & Grier during my mothers Probate process 5 years ago that just getting sellers and executors name correct that one seller was left with assuming the the other seller/executor was receiving home sale estate proceeds personally and retaliated in his own trust we just discovered. Get clear escrow documents and email communication with probate attorney and review it for accuracy before presented to all sellers. DenHerder & Grier has yet to present documents requested and past email communication during the Probate to determine what was presented 5 years ago since there were so much confusion and so many corrections. Currently DenHerder & Grier state it is a conflict of interest for them to assist me at this point and would not refer a Trust litigation attorney. Beware, your probate attorney may throw you under the bus with your family. read more

We had a few outside the norm requests to add to our trust and Shima was fabulous at explaining the best way to protect our assets for our family and beloved pets read more

My husband and I had needed a trust for years, but we kept putting it off because it was so daunting. Once we started the process with DenHerder, we realized that there were even more things than we'd even considered. But Stacy helped us through the process every step of the way, breaking down the process into manageable steps. She gave us excellent guidance on how to deal with the really tricky things. We couldn't have gotten through this without her. It's a huge worry off our shoulders. Also, she's a delightful human being. read more

My wife and I just finished restating our trust and estate plan with Stacy DenHerder and her team. It was a very positive experience. Throughout the process Stacy offered valuable and creative suggestions to help us make wise decisions with our complicated situation. Most of all, she listened well and tailored our trust to our needs. Instead of legalese, she explained our options with examples and words we could easily understand. In addition to her impressive knowledge of the law and tax implications, she provided helpful visual tools and handouts such as a flow chart and glossary of legal terms. Even more important, we were really impressed with our final meeting where Stacy walked us through a detailed checklist and strongly emphasized what we needed to do next with our bank, investments, lender, title company and other assets. Many attorneys can do a trust, but it's useless if a client doesn't move or title their assets into the trust. The wonderful binder she gave us has our trust, wills, power of attorney, health care directives and key documents clearly organized in a helpful manner. Stacy, her staff and assistant Katie are service oriented, caring, accessible and responsive by phone or email when needed. In summary, while our previous estate attorney was efficient, our experience with DenHerder & Associates sets a new bar! Bob and Barb read more

DenHerder & Associates - Binder we received with all our documents organized to find them easily. - Wills, Trusts, & Probates Near Me - San Diego, California

Setting up a trust can be an overwhelming process. Shima Colbern and staff at DenHerder made this manageable for me. I felt so supported by them with timely responses, detailed answers to my questions and step-by-step instructions. I would absolutely recommend! read more

Our family needed an attorney to take care of our will and trust. We attended a wills and trusts seminar at Shadow Mountain Community Church recently and decided to hire DenHerder & Associates to accomplish this important family need. Anyone who has any assets that includes real property, retirement, investments, a handwritten will, future college accounts, medical directives, or anything of substance to pass on to an heir(s) will need professional help to accomplish this. Stacy and her staff were first rate, plus they will assist in future estate needs, either in an advisory capacity or legal capacity if needed. I will say the cost to do this was worth the effort, and will save far more than if we had not done this. Thank you Stacy and staff, The Owens Family read more

We were referred to DenHerder & Associates by Shadow Mountain Community Church's Financial Director. We needed our old Revocable Trust revisited and ultimately rewritten. We met with Shima who knew what we should include in our Revocable Trust and Will. She was patient and very complete in explaining each section. She is willing to assist our Revocable Trust Executors if a situation arises where advice is needed. The Office staff were very helpful, as well. read more

Shima helped update a very complex/old living trust on behalf of a neighbor. She had to do quite a bit of research to finalize the updated trust. I went back to have two notarizations done at short notice and Katie did them with a smile. A side benefit, you can park right at the front door! read more

I've had a wonderful experience working with this group of attorneys. My goal was to update/restate my existing Living Trust, after the death of my husband. Their entire staff are very respectful and professional. They made it easy to do business with them. Thank you for taking care of me and my family. May God bless each of you and your family members. Thank you again for your assistance. read more

We went to make our trust/ estate and we are more than happy with the results and how easy they made this process for us. We would recommend to any of our friends and family. Thank you! read more

We recently set up our family trust with DenHerder and Associates, and couldn't be happier. During the first meeting Stacy Denherder posed questions to guide our thinking and gave us an organized folder of "homework". By the second meeting, the entire estate plan (revocable trust, pour-over will, health care power of attorney, legacy planner) was completed. Additionally, she thoroughly explained all of the documents and how to use or revise them. The whole process was easy. Stacy is a compassionate attorney that knows the law. The office staff is friendly and efficient. We highly recommend this law firm. read more

I just finished making a revocable living trust with DenHerder & Associates. Attorney Kristin Locke made this a pleasant and easy experience for me; she took care of helping me collect all the necessary documents and paperwork required. I have complete confidence and peace of mind that when I pass, my estate and belongings will be legally distributed according to my wishes. I wholeheartedly recommend this firm to anyone who needs to finish this most important life plan. read more

Really bad experience from the gate. How these guys have 5 stars is beyond me. Called because my insurance had referenced this company as a covered benefit! To my absolute surprise I'm told he is no longer "taking these matters-trusts that is". I don't believe i called for pro bono case? It's equivalent to being told that your doctor no longer wants to participate in your insurance plan. Perhaps the attorney is not quite detail oriented as having a client be surprised that the attorney hasn't worked out his participation with the insurance company is quite disappointing. Also, I'm told he is promoted to Sr.esq sounds like it's definitely "well" deserved. Good job keeping on "top" of your commitments. Too bad, I was looking forward to advertising this service to my network as I'm an avid real estate investor. read more

My husband and I dreaded the estate planning process and had put it off. We attended a seminar that DenHerder & Associates presented and were so impressed that we called to schedule an appointment the next day. We worked with Shima and could not have been more pleased with the process and the final result. She educated us, clarified and explained every scenario we proposed and was extremely patient with us throughout the entire process. We highly recommend this firm and have to several friends. read more

I chose this law firm for our estate planning after seeing Stacy Denherder speak on the topic. She is extremely knowledgeable on this area of law and thus I felt comfortable/confident in her completing our estate plan. After learning how expensive and how much a headache probate can be, we decided to have an entire estate plan (trust, pour over will, guardianship, etc) in order for our successors to be able to avoid the probate process. I would highly recommend Stacy and her team to anyone. read more

I had seen Stacy speak at my church a few years ago about estate planning and then, coincidentally, my financial planner recommended this firm independently. I worked with Shima Kalaei. She and her team were excellent! Everything was explained very thoroughly and it was very straight forward. It covered everything I thought it might, and things that I had not thought of. In three visits, over the course of a couple months, we went over the big picture and narrowed it down to specifics, with homework assignments (both necessary and optional to better serve my purpose). She and her crew made everything so easy, answered all my questions completely. I would definitely recommend them and work with this again when I need to make changes to my estate plan. read more

DenHerder & Associates was recommended to me by a friend, and my experience could not have been better. Shima Kalaei was thorough and highly professional. I know my Trust is the best it can be, and I'm glad I now have a relationship with the firm. (Shima and I had fun, too!) Barbara Lais read more

Shima was so thorough, patient and professional while also being kind and inviting. My 80 year old mother and I were updating her trust and the process was so smooth and clear. Loved the whole experience which I was surprised by and had not anticipated. Would highly recommend. read more

Working with Shima to create an estate plan was a very positive experience. She quickly understood my priorities and crafted a plan that was thorough, thoughtful and sensitive. She also raised topics that I had not considered and offered several options for addressing them. Once the plan was in place, she and her team even took the initiative to help direct the placement of assets into the trust. Really appreciated that extra effort! I know that if I have questions in the future, I have a great resource in Shima and her firm, DenHerder & Associates. Highly recommend them. read more

People might be happy right now with Den Herder setting up their living trust but when they are gone there money will not go to who it is suppose to go to. That has been my experience with Den Herder. It has been almost 6 years for an easy living trust and they still have not paid the money to the relatives in the living trust. They drag things out to collect more money. I would find a different attorney to get a living trust done, I would NOT hire them. I am looking for a different attorney to handle my affairs who WILL honor my wishes when I pass! read more

Stacy and her team did an excellent job of re-stating our Living Trust and other legal documents. The process was thorough, thoughtful and complete. She took the time to listen to our questions and concerns and made the process seamless. No hesitation in recommending Stacy and her team. read more

I completed my trust with Denherder & Associates in November, 2016 after 3 meetings extending over 3 months. Stacy DenHerder was my attorney, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her and her staff. I had many questions, and she was so thorough and patient, answering everything to my satisfaction. And then, she brought up many other questions and issues I should consider. I am a very detailed person, and I greatly appreciated Stacy and her staff getting everything just right. I liked that I was able to modify many of the documents (Advance Health Care Directive, in particular) to personalize them and ensure that my needs and wants were documented. One reason I chose DenHerder & Associates to do my trust is they have four attorneys. I wanted a team who would be there down the road, as I selected DenHerder & Associates as my successor trustee. Stacy explained that as they hired attorneys, they like to hire ones younger than herself, to help ensure the continuance of the law firm. Another reason I chose them, though, is their obvious strong moral values, as exemplified by the strong work/personal life balance for themselves and their staff, and also the suggestion to write personal letters of instruction and "legacy" to include in the trust. The legacy letters can be letters to loved ones letting them know how much you appreciate and love them, or can be letters explaining how you'd like your children to be raised, etc. It is a very thoughtful addition to the trust process. I must say that, after putting off creating a trust for a couple of decades, I found this process to be very gratifying. In the process I met with family members I hadn't seen in years and met younger cousins I'd never seen. I talked with friends and asked if there were any particular items they'd like me to leave them. It was a joyful experience to go through my house, looking at the many items I love and care for, and to gift them to friends and family members I know will love and appreciate them and will have something special to remember me by. read more

Was referred to them by several friends. Shima was very personable and more importantly, very thorough in helping us with our family trust. We would recommend her to anyone we know that needs to set up a trust! read more

Thoughtful, thorough, professional estate planning experts! Stacy Denherder and her team at DenHerder and Associates were recommended to me by several friends and associates, so when it was time for my wife and I to have our estate plan and related documents created we went to her. She is careful to inquire about the "technical" topics as well as personal preferences. If the client has specific spiritual beliefs and considerations, as we do, Stacy is also careful to take those into account. Stacy also suggests, but does not require, that her clients consider creating what she calls a "Legacy of Love", consisting of letters from the clients to their families which talk from the heart about personal and spiritual matters, so that there's much more than just property and advance medical directives to have ready when needed. That's a wonderful suggestion, and an example of her thoroughness. Highly recommended! read more

Had both my will and estate done with this company. Shima was excellent to work with. I love efficiency and she used our time together at both meetings to full utility. Shema was very knowledgeable and explained everything in terms I could easily understand. A very positive experience. read more

A few months back, we worked with Shima to set up our family trust. Her communication via email, or in person, is outstanding. She made the entire process easy to understand. She is extremely knowledgeable and her suggestions were insightful and caring. During our visits to her office, we found the entire staff to be friendly and courteous. For such an important legal document pertaining to estate planning, we are more than satisfied and happy that we worked with Shima. Don't hesitate to call her! read more

Just updated my trust, will and health directive with Stacy Denherder and it was an easy process. I appreciated all if the consideration from the staff to my attorney to make important decisions for my family. I especially love the extra touch this business does to include personal letters to my loved ones. Very classy! Wonderful experience. Don't wait on this as we don't know how soon our family needs this as our final gift to them! read more

DenHerder & Associates - I have the peace of mind that my estate is now in place for my children and grandchildren. - Wills, Trusts, & Probates Near Me - San Diego, California

We worked with Shima Kalaei to prepare our will and estate plan. We had an excellent experience. Shima was very knowledgeable about estate planning, she had extensive knowledge of a lot of the tax implications regarding gifting, and had a lot of good suggestions for how to structure our plan to work best for our family. She was very professional and enjoyable to work with, which I think is important when discussing such significant matters. We feel very confident that our trust is structured well for our family, and that every angle has been considered and covered. I am glad we invested the money in hiring professionals - Shima thought of a lot of scenarios and asked a lot of questions that we never would have considered if we had attempted to do this on our own. The legal assistants were also extremely professional, knowledgeable, and just a pleasure to communicate with. I strongly recommend Denherder & Associates and Shima Kalaei. read more

We can't say enough about Stacy and her team. My wife and I had procrastinated for years about creating an Estate Plan, mostly because of how daunting it seemed. The DenHerder team, and Stacy in particular, walked us through the process, patiently creating a Plan that feels like it was tailor made specifically for our family. Their experience and professionalism was evident throughout the process, and add to that their compassion and kindness (we were not prepared for the emotional journey this takes you on). It's comforting to know that our family will be protected and taken care. I wouldn't entrust estate planning to anyone else! read more

Thanks to Stacy and her staff for making the process of putting together a Trust very simple. I have worked with Denherder & Associates for the past 20 years and would highly recommend this group. They are up to date on law changes and have a lot of experience in putting together a Trust. read more

Met with Chantelle to go over the specifics of my Mom's estate. She was both knowledgeable and sensitive to my feelings. She is now helping my husband and I plan our own estate and we couldn't be more pleased with the process. We feel this is our plan, just how we want it, but have been provided enough guidance to understand the choices we are making. Everyone in the office is professional and helpful. We highly recommend Den Herder and Associates. read more

Stacy re-stated and updated our family trust and all of our estate documents. She explained in detail anything that might seem confusing to us. We couldn't have asked for a better relationship with an attorney. The office staff was excellent. read more

Two years ago, my wife and I started working with a financial advisor. He is located in Crystal Lake, Il. One of his suggestions and requests was that we set up a trust. We were not sure where to start as there are many who provide this service. We wanted someone who specialized in this type of law practice. He assisted us with a search using a network called Kingdom Advisors. Stacy is affiliated with this network and our advisor contacted her. He spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Stacy questioning her about her expertise, services, and philosophy. I have known my financial advisor for 30 years and trusted his recommendation. He is always thorough. We are glad we decided to have Stacy and her firm handle our trust. Our first hour consultation was free and we decided then and there to go with DenHerder and Associates. The process involved three very thorough meetings. We met with Stacy and Shima. They have every base covered regarding different possible scenarios and the decisions that need to be made regarding each. We now have a completed binder with the details and some homework regarding changing account names to our trust. But, my wife and I left the DenHerder office today feeling confidant we made the right decision to sign on with DenHerder and Associates. read more

From beginning to end - Shima was able to guide us through the process by explaining everything thoroughly, and allowing us time to consider our options and make intelligent decisions. This firm really understands the process, is very organized and provides an exceptional product (i.e. your trust documentation). We would highly recommend this firm to anyone seeking advice on setting up a family trust. read more

Having referred many to this firm over the years, in 2020 it was time for my wife & I to finalize our Trust Documents and final wishes. Our experience with Stacy DenHerder throughout this very personal, at times gut-wrenching, process, was very professional, thorough and totally satisfying. Her experience and vision of the future helped considerably in leading us through tough decisions that were requried today in planning for tomorrow. I, without any doubt whatsoever, highly reccomend Stacy and her firm to address and fulfill your estate planning needs. They are FIVE STARS in my book!!!! read more

Shima Kalaei is an amazing, caring Estate Planning attorney. She is extremely knowledgeable and will find out answers in a timely manner. Shima is compassionate and professional. I highly recommend Shima for any estate planning needs. read more