Best estate attorney. So smart and reasonable fees. Very personable and great listener.

John was excellent at preparing all of our estate planning documents. He was very patient when we were slow on finishing the documentation. I highly recommend John for your Trust and Estate Planning needs. read more

Set up a trust with the help of Mr. Breckenridge. He is incredibly knowledgeable, succinct and answered all of my questions, which were plentiful. Compared to a few other Estate Attorneys, I found his price to be quite reasonable. The thing I most appreciated was his straightforward approach and being up-to-date with any law-related changes that may impact estate planning. So helpful! Highly recommend his services and would gladly work with him again in the future. read more

John did my living trust, he is thorough and takes the time to explain any questions you may have. I was extremely pleased with his services and would highly recommend him. Five stars all the way! Tony C read more

We had to set up a trust. We needed a good lawyer who also would not be very expensive. A friend who knows matters of the Bay Area advised us to contact Mr John Paul Breckenridge. Before contacting J.P. Breckenridge we looked up his rating on the Internet. This is what we read: professionalism, honesty. Helpful, reasonably priced. There to help you. Great lawyer, responsive. Knowledgeable, incredibly patient. Understanding, compassionate. It seems he saved unity and peace of many families. Many people wrote about his gracious, polite but firm approach. We met Mr J.P. Breckenridge and he is all that. We are proud to know him and to put family matters in his hands. read more

What's more stressful than estate planning? I even tried online legal and the questions soon became overwhelming because there wasn't great guidance for the various choices. A friend had his Trust done by John Breckenridge and a mutual friend dealt with some messiness after a death in the family. They both raved about Breckenridge -- and now, it's my turn! I had him do my Trust. He runs a little one-person office (but he's Stanford undergrad and UCLA Law and was in big firms previously). Economical, and very straightforward to deal with. Answers questions patiently and expertly. Worked quickly and did everything he promised, on time. Highest recommendation. read more

Based on a friend's recommendation, my mom engaged John to help her update our family trusts. Recently, we had to navigate through the complexities of Proposition 19 (November 2020). It was all so daunting. We appreciate John's knowledge and patience as our family needed to wade through options and come up with a plan that worked for us. I will echo other's reviews. John is "knowledgeable, efficient, trustworthy." That explains the overwhelming positive reviews here on Yelp. Our family thanks you!! read more

John helped me with necessary documentation for an ailing spouse. Very professional and very prompt!

Our family has been a client of John's for many many years. Only the best there is in Silicon Valley !!!

My husband and I met John for an initial consultation a week ago. We were interested in setting up trusts for our children and updating our own trust. John was wonderful about answering our questions as well as asking questions to better assess our goals. He must have spent at least 45 minutes with us only to determine, in the end, that what we needed was more involved and not within his expertise. Instead of stopping our discussion at that point, we continued to talk and he advised us on how we should proceed and suggested some options. I really appreciate John's professionalism and honesty throughout our meeting. Not once did I get the feeling that his primary goal was to secure our business, even if it wasn't the best fit. It's refreshing to deal with people with integrity and sincere interest in helping others. read more

John has been our Family Estate Lawyer for the last 5 years. And he still amazes us with his straight-forward, knowledgeable, efficient, trustworthy and patient style. In our last visit, we wanted to better understand the implications to some recent law changes. We explained out family goals and he explained the options along with the advantages and disadvantages. He helped guide us through our decision and helped us execute the final decision. I highly recommend him and his much valued services. read more

My friend became an executor for a friend who passed. She used John and was happy, so when I had a friend who needed a Trust I called John who was very personable, helpful and reasonable priced. Sadly my friend passed a few years later, and I became his executor, so John is now helping me again, and I feel like I am in good hands which is important when you feel potentially vulnerable. Thankfully there are good capable folks, like John, to help in times of need. read more

John was very helpful in helping us set up our family trust/will documents. As our situations changed (ie, kids getting older etc), he updated our documents with minimal hassle and what I thought a reasonable price. He is very responsive. I would highly recommend. read more

John prepared all the required legal estate documents for my mother on a timely basis and provided clear explanation to me of the process. I was referred to John by a family friend and I was glad that I called him. I would gladly recommend him to anyone. read more

John is DEFINITELY one of the good guys. He was referred to me in one very fortuitous conversation with a financial advisor. I was looking into creating a Trust on behalf of my parents. I had spoken to two other lawyers (one recommend by Yelp and another through friends) and both never mentioned one VERY important factor, which was how doing "Option A" versus "Option B" has very different financial repercussions later down the road. One lawyer mentioned, "Talk to your parents and let me know how they want to handle things, either A or B. I can do either." Well, for me, I'm looking for a lawyer that will advise me which options will have what financial impacts further down the road, and it was clear John knows his stuff when it comes to estate planning. In one phone conversation, after taking the time to listen to all the factors surrounding my family's current situation, he explored multiple options (you can tell he was racking his brain and he was coming up with several different variations). He offered the pros / cons of each, and then helped me find the solution that worked best for the family, which was creating a Trust should be delayed until a later time. Prior to conversing with him, I was led to believe I needed a lawyer ASAP, but after our conversation, I only need one down the road -- just not now. It is clear that he doesn't solely do this for the money otherwise he could've easily advised me to use his service. He is genuinely there to help you do what's right for your current situation even if it means less money in his pocket. The only minor downside is that he took 3 to 4 days to respond to my two "pleas for help" phone messages. I was seriously beginning to look for another but then he called and apologized (he was in meetings all week). I'm assuming this would be a common problem with any GREAT lawyer -- they're completely focused on helping their current client, and finding their next "meal-ticket" just isn't a top priority. Needless to say, I would most definitely use his services in the future, and wholeheartedly refer him to anyone. read more

My father had retained John's services for over 2 decades, and emphatically trusted and appreciated him. When my father unexpectedly became critically ill this past Fall, John came to the hospital to meet with him and assisted him with vital matters only days before he passed away. John's empathy, compassion, personal concern and professionalism was a tremendous blessing for us at a terrible time. He continued to provide guidance and support for myself as executor, and my brother. He is a man of enormous character and integrity, and I have never known another attorney in any capacity I could respect and regard so highly. I recommend John Breckenridge as the best quality you could possibly secure in any of your legal matters. read more

John is super-intelligent, draws on a wealth of experience, is ethical and honest, tempers his advice to the situation, is compassionate, and charges a very fair fee. Situation 1: Our 91-yr old Mom was no longer able to pay her own bills or make good financial decisions. Yet, she would not allow us to transact business for her. Most lawyers would advise "Get the Power of Attorney at all costs" regardless of the situation. Not John. He cautioned that if we asked Mom for a Power of Attorney and she refused, it might be a very bad situation. John considered all aspects of the situation and made rational suggestions. When Mom was ready, she signed a POA. Situation 2: The trust documents and addendum's which our parents drew up were confusing. John read them, quickly comprehended them, and clearly interpreted them for us. Situation 3: One family member was creating havoc during the preparations for Mom's funeral. John gave us sound advice on how to handle the situation during the funeral (avoid talking about legal and financial matters) and how to handle the situation afterwards (tell them that all communications come through John's office). It gave us the peace of mind to attend the funeral and to know we could minimize our exposure to disruptive people during our time of grief. Other Observations: 1. John is accessible during a crisis. No matter the inconvenience to him. 2. John is compassionate. He is the perfect blend of being highly efficient in a professional capacity, yet being understanding during an emotionally turbulent time. 3. John is calm during crazy times and proposes reasonable actions. 4. John sees the humor in a situation and helps you see it too. 5. Because of his many years of experience, John can pretty accurately predict how other parties will react. Then he can help you set a course of action. 6. John is all about simplicity and flexibility. He streamlined the process of settling the estate and allowed us to do as much or as little as we wished to do. What makes John different? There are many estate lawyers in the Bay Area who know the law. But there are few who will apply it in a way that is consistent with YOUR situation. Some lawyers might create a contentious situation that is upsetting and costly. John's goal is to conserve your estate and your sanity. read more

John has assisted me by creating a trust for my children. He had also helped my mother with her legal affairs and has always been kind, extremely competent and timely. He explains things in layman's terms and offers options that directly address your needs since he also listens very well to your wishes and concerns. I highly recommend John. read more

I worked with John Breckenridge to help a client retain their low property taxes on a property he settled through their estate. He was very responsive and did a great job coordinating the transaction. read more

John recently helped me review and update my 1998 Trust. He suggested a Dynasty Trust for my children and answered all my questions. The process was painless, even the check writing ! I recommend John and ask that you read the other yelps here. It's good to know I have him in my corner if the need arises and that my family has someone like him to help them in the future. Thanks again, John. read more

We have called upon John several times to help us set up our own trust as well as resolving some issues with the trusts/estates of other family members. He is knowledgable, responsive, and has been incredibly patient walking us through our options - and with our questions as we struggled to understand what we were dealing with. I'm also grateful for John's calm demeanor. We've had some situations that were highly charged emotionally - grief, tears, frustration - and John has always been understanding and compassionate. We've never felt spoken down to or dismissed. We're definitely fans! read more

John is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and an incredible lawyer. He is straight forward and extremely helpful going above and beyond to accommodate. My mother was in the hospital in isolation and John went to met with her anyway to get all the information and signatures for her trust. He took care of all the details, and believe me there were a lot. He later helped with reviewing documents when it came to selling her property and has continued to help advise both my brother and myself whenever we have the need. I highly recommend him to anyone needing a lawyer or seeking advise. read more

Look no further! John is an excellent attorney with reasonable fees-very affordable! John is compassionate, patient and understanding. He explains options and details in layman terms. He promptly responds!! My family has used his services for over 20 years - my mother, husband and I, and recently my mother-in-law. John even went to the hospital to help my mother with her trust. He also helped my mother in law who was a bit leary of doing a trust. She later raved about him! read more

So far, so good. We don't have the final paperwork yet, but John has prepared a family trust for us - along with wills and lots of good advice. Fee seems reasonable based on what we've heard, and we have recommended him to a couple of friends. read more

Just to echo what others have said. My wife and I would highly recommend John. Very helpful, answered our questions, provided explanations - made the whole process very easy, many thanks to John. read more

John is a terrific attorney. Very knowledgeable, humble, and very reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

John helped my mom with some paperwork to keep Proposition 13 on her home when it passes to heirs. He did an excellent job. John is fast, thorough, and easy to work with. His rates are affordable. I recommend him highly. read more

John helped me with estate planning prior to my husband's death from cancer and then assisted me with creating a trust for my children. He is professional, knowledgeable and has excellent people skills. I would highly recommend him. read more

I would highly recommend John Breckenridge. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable about estate planning. He is very low key, friendly and offers good advice. Anyone who needs a lawyer should go to John Breckenridge. He's the best. read more