I went to Nancy because I needed a fiduciary/trustee for a special needs trust. She insisted on a…read more$500 retainer just to review my case. A big red flag. Otherwise, she was very responsive and seemed capable, but I didn't hire her. Beware of her five star rating on Yelp; the review is from her friend not a client. She has no client reviews.

I have known Nancy for 20 years, she's dedicated to helping families get through trying times. I…read morehave personally worked with her, she's professional, thorough and looking out for your best interest. I'd recommend her to you! Patrick Adair, Intero Real Estate - senior specialist

Our experience with Mari started out great, but then communication became more and more sparse. We…read morewere SO close to completing paperwork when she simply stopped returning our messages. The last step was for her to send in the completed papers and that was 5 months ago. Very disappointed.

Update: I received…read moreMarizen's private message and her request to edit or remove my review--this request was notably left off her public comment as noted in the screenshot attached. Since the 2 stars (which equates to the "[service] could've been better") were due to the unprofessionalism and inattentiveness shown (not due to her being an LDA), I have no reason to change my rating or delete my review. TL;DR: Marizen is NOT a lawyer. She is a Legal Document Assistant that cannot provide you with legal advice. She is a significantly affordable option for a Living Trust but she is unprofessional and has poor attention to detail-- key characteristics that are paramount to detailing an important document. Details: I left a Living Trust inquiry via her site and Marizen emailed me back within 1 day to "text" her back for a scheduled over-the-phone consult. Upon speaking with Marizen it was clear she did not take the time to review the few questions I had sent her in my initial inquiry as she was confused as to what the consult would primarily be regarding. Her rates were significantly less than what other competing services were offering which raised an orange flag for me. Upon further research, I realized Marizen was NOT a lawyer, but rather a "Legal Document Assistant (LDA)." According to the CA Attorney General, LDAs cannot give legal advice. This was my first encounter with an LDA, which allowed me the opportunity to do the necessary research to make a more educated investment. Had Marizen gotten back to me with the necessary next steps and questionnaire as she had promised (it's been over 1.5 weeks), I may have considered her as a possible option to complete my Living Trust needs. But if you are looking for a more affordable option, perhaps Marizen is a good fit for you.

Nope! Never. Rip off. Never trust this man. This person is…read morenot genuine and would charge you the highest rate possible.

Walter has been my mom's attorney for a while. I just met him as she is now in her 80s and asking…read morelots of questions. He helps us get a power of attorney set up and explained how her trust works. She feels much better now knowing that her financial stuff is well taken care of. Walter was calm and clear and patient. I would recommend him to anyone I know and may use him myself if the need ever arises.

Robert Arne, owner of Carpe Diem, prepared our tax returns for the first time this year. He was…read morerecommended by a friend whose tax he has done for several years. We were very happy with the service Robert provided and will definitely use his service again. We got an appointment right away and he completed our returns and filed them electronically within a few days. He was thorough in asking for all of our information so that we didn't miss any possible deductions. The entire process start to finish was the most painless tax prep experience I've had in years. His price, I feel, was very fair. Our return is about medium in terms of complicated, with a few rental properties and to be honest he could have used that to bump his price. He didn't do that. I don't know Robert yet but I have the feeling he is above board and honest in his financial dealings, just had the impression he isn't someone who gets every penny he can in an exchange. His office is in his home and his home is on a remote road in the Santa Cruz mountains. We only needed to make one trip there as he was very willing to do everything electronically after the initial visit to meet each other.

We are a retired couple with a duplex in Boulder Creek. I haven't done our taxes in a few years…read moreand the wife finally pushed me to call carpe diem. The gentleman there is very nice, but we didn't feel he took the time to understand who we were and where we were coming from. He chatted with my wife for some time, but mostly talked about himself. He made some assumptions about how we wanted to handle the duplex, which were wrong. He seemed to think we were much wealthier than we actually are. At some point he apparently triggered some deep feelings she had, but he did not seem to notice it care. She cried all the way home. After we got home, we consulted AI. It turns out that we needed a different kind of tax person, if we even need one at all. AI was able to put us on the right track. Thank you, Gemini . That's about it. I don't like confrontations so I am still in contact with this man, but the wife says just pay him for the visit and cut our losses.

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

I had my revocable living trust done with Elizabeth back in mid 2018 and I was very happy for the…read morequality of service she provided. I am one of those people who try to search through internet and buy software to do it ourselves. Although, I learned a lot in the process but wasting a lot of times and efforts. To make long story short, I had requested several quotes from estate attorney through yelp and also from the estate attorney provided by company where I work for, I ended up choosing Elizabeth as my estate attorney. So, don't waste your valuable time. If you are reading this review, you must have already done your research. Call or message her now. I would recommend her service to friends and family and anyone I know.

Elizabeth Mackey-Sall is a detail oriented attorney with a personal touch. She has an in-depth…read moreknowledge of the law and tailors your estate planning around your specific situation. Elizabeth is excellent with follow up and will give your case all the attention necessary. We could not be happier with her as our attorney. Highly recommend!