Finding James Hammer was such a relief. From the moment I walked into his office which is professional, beautifully decorated, and welcoming I felt at ease. I brought my 18-month-old daughter, and he made it completely comfortable for us both. I had a lot of questions and concerns, and he never rushed me during our free consultation and was very generous with his time. He patiently walked me through different scenarios, explaining why I shouldn't make certain decisions too early, which gave me real peace of mind. He also recommended a fiduciary, set up the call, and made sure I wasn't charged just to get a file started. Everything was setup as flat, "out-the-door" fee so there were no surprises. Knowing he recently became a dad himself made him even more relatable and understanding. I left feeling like I had a plan, not stress, and that my daughter's future was in good hands. He's knowledgeable, honest, patient, and genuinely family-friendly. I would recommend James Hammer to anyone who wants both expertise and a lawyer who truly cares. read more

Today, my wife and I met with attorney Adam Shiells. We shared the tedious details of our situation, the actions we had already taken, and our confusion over the future path to follow. Not only was he incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, more importantly he was patient and engaged throughout our encounter. He took the time to listen, and his responses were specific and insightful. We now have the confidence to move forward and are clear on Adam's role in this process as we progress. What an incredibly positive experience. read more

My wife and I interviewed 4 different law firms before selecting Shiells & Hammer. What stood for us is their direct to the point approach, clear understanding of our goals, no fear mongering, no gimmicks like those offering free seminars with refreshments and no consultation fees. On top of that we got a referral discount from my co-worker who is their client. It was a pleasant surprise how very easy the signing process was; not intimidating at all. read more

We were referred to Adam by our financial advisor and were very happy with the interaction. Adam and his staff are very knowledgeable and ready to help to the point of knowing what our questions were going to be! He made the whole process of Estate Planning manageable and understandable while maintaining a friendly yet professional manner. He also referred us to a fiduciary to complete the process and we now feel that we are well prepared for the future. It was a good investment of our time and money. read more

From the very start, you witness that James Hammer is extremely intelligent, quick and very adept at his profession. And he's funny too. Both times we met with James to revision our trust he was thorough, concise and very instructive. He explained everything that we needed to know with clear examples in easy terms. He also has given us contacts for other professionals that we will be needing help from. Together they can make sure our trust is connected to all our assets in the most beneficial way. We feel very grateful for having James Hammer in our corner. read more

I came to Shiells and Hammer to get some help with estate planning for my parents. We're immigrants and not very familiar with complicated American legal systems so it was amazing to have people like Adam and James walk us through this process. They made everything easy to understand which is important since I am so unsophisticated with issues of laws and regulations. And they had some great solutions for some of our trickier questions, I can definitely say they offer some very creative legal advise ;-) On a personal note, I would also say I got a very good vibe from both James and Adam. Adam is so outgoing and charming and, even though James comes off a lot more shy and reserved, he's clearly a good guy and not "slick" like a lot of lawyers come off. I also get the vibe that they are both good family men with strong traditional values, which made me feel so comfortable bringing my parents to them. I definitely recommend them to anyone! read more

Honest, hard working and goodwill is definitely characteristic of James Hammer who has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to taking care of our estate necessities. If he comes across anything that needs more research, he dives into the situation and comes through with a resolution. My parents had hired someone in the past to take care of their estate and that person not only redirected their intention of a simple living trust to sheer confusion and a syphoning of their hard earned money; he drew up an irrevocable trust that was as clear as mud. James Hammer came through like a true blessing for our parents. For a lack of better words, He has taken what was stained with mud and grime, and poured a disinfectant and clean water into a mess that needed transparency. James came highly recommended by another very good and honest reputable attorney as being forthright, fair, thorough and diligent. He has made what was confusing and muddied into a clean and transparent situation. His goodwill and transparent way of doing business leads to what he is, an exceptional attorney that performs ethical work in a truly remarkable way. He has contributed to setting our worries at ease. read more

Mr. Hammer assisted me with my living trust. He had excellent communication and gave me several options. I had spoken to a previous attorney but I am thankful that I chose Shiells and Hammer. The recommendation I received saved my family a large sum of money, in future taxation. I fervently give Shiells and Hammer five stars. The missing star is because I feel they could be stronger in marketing their services and creating word of mouth in the community. I did not receive a pen, mini calendar nor a refrigerator magnet with their pictures. I particularly appreciate the refrigerator magnets. read more

Retiring Trust & Will Attorney for my grandmother was transitioned to Shiells and Hammer. The other day I needed to confirm I had most recent documents relating to the Trust and Will. The office manager Robert took my request said he'd get back to me within an hour with the information and he did. Exceptional service not only providing me the documents but also taking the time to figure and point out what changes were made. A big shoot out to Robert for the great service. read more

Adam Shiells was recommended to me by my currently retired estate attorney. He met with my husband and I to review our trust to see if any updates were needed, as well as with my son, who needed to set up a trust since he'd just purchased a home. Adam was on time, prepared with an outline to help us thoroughly understand our options and decisions that needed to be made. He patiently answered all of our questions and told us he would review our needs and get back to us within a few days via email. We heard back from him promptly; we determined that our trust didn't need revision, which saved us a bunch of money, and he set an appointment to go over my son's trust with him. Son's trust is all set; again, Adam went over each section patiently and thoroughly. Having a knowledgeable attorney is invaluabl read more

Shiells & Hammer - Not only do you get a binder of your trust paperwork, you also get a plastic business card with a flash drive of your paperwork! - Wills, Trusts, & Probates Near Me - Roseville, California

t is almost a year later from when we got our initial trust set up and I want to reiterate that our selection of Shiells and Hammer for our Trust and Estate attorney was the best decision we could have made. One of our homes "fell out" of the trust due to an error on the part of the loan company when a home improvement loan was taken out. Ownership was switched to my mother and me, which was never the intention. James Hammer worked with me immediately to resolve this and helped me fix the property tax reassessment issue it created (We got bumped into an expensive property tax reassessment) and worked to get the house back into the trust. Like all of his past work, he was smart, thorough and conscientious the entire time. Calling a lawyer feels scary (and expensive) so I really appreciate how I feel like I can get advice and direction in a clear and thoughtful manner and feel like I am doing right by my mother to have her wishes fulfilled. I have worked with a lot of attorneys in my prior job (alumni director at a Law School) and I can easily say James Hammer is one of the best I've come across and provides absolutely exceptional service time and time again. read more

James helped my husband & I set up a trust. He traveled to my home in Vacaville, I didn't even need to drive to his office! He was very professional and caring while making us comfortable talking about a subject most don't want to deal with. After the whole process was done we were so glad we made the decision, now our children don't have to deal with the "what would my parents want." It is all written down for them. Call Shiells & Hammer today, I promise you will be happy you did. read more

Jim Hammer was brilliant, making it incredibly easy to amend our 2008 estate plan. & The big thing was he presented it in a way that worked for my husband who was totally resistant to this. I think a lot of men are reluctant to deal with estate issues much less family estate planning issues his diagram to your whole estate issue is so straightforward and super easy for someone who is resistant. He made the whole event understandable and gives us an easy roadmap to presenting this to our heirs. read more

I highly recommend Shiells & Hammer. James and Adam provide unparalleled service. There is no charge for the consultation. They travel to your location (I am in El Dorado Hills), actively listen, and explain the legalese with simple examples in a way that I could understand. I've had the pleasure of speaking to each of them, and they are equally friendly and competent. Their patience and professionalism turned what could have been an overwhelming and confusing experience into a streamlined, simple, comforting process. They provided the documents in an organized binder, broken out into sections with clear instructions in the "homework" letter, along with everything electronically on a flash drive. This documentation enabled me to easily transfer title on bank accounts, life insurance, and retirement accounts. Estate Planning is a critical step to ensure efficient and painless asset transfer to your loved ones at a time of loss and sorrow. If done incorrectly, your assets could be held up for years in court. Don't take a chance on just anybody - choose Shiells & Hammer! read more

Adam is the best! Very knowledgeable, responsive, and very thorough. He is all you need for Trust and Estate Management. I highly recommend Adam Shiells. read more

James and Adam are two of the most professional, detail oriented, and knowledgeable lawyers I've ever dealt with. They made the experience of dealing with my Uncles' estate easy in a very difficult time. As someone that is unfamiliar with the law, James and Adam explained everything to me in a clear and concice manner that allowed me to gain a full knowledge of the law. They stayed in constant contact throughout the process and were extremely responsive via email and phone. I will 100% use Shiells & Hammer in the future and would highly recommend them to anyone. read more

James Hammer is professional, detail oriented, a great listener, patient, willing to teach, explain things in simple terms, punctual, responsive to emails... exceptional service! James was a referral from one of my good friend. She used Shiells & Hammer with her parents' estate planning, and also in the process of setting one up for her estates. I was thinking in my head, "WOW, he must be good and trust-worthy". I called James up that weekend and had a very nice conversation on the phone explaining what I wanted to do. He listened patiently. Then we scheduled for a follow up meeting at my place to go over options for me to consider. The phone call and the first face-to-face meeting were both free of charge! James was on time. He came prepared and his presentation of materials was very professional. He has the ability to explain things with simple terms, and he likes to give examples, which I thought was very nice! The overall experience of the meeting was pleasant and informative. I've decided to move forward with using Shiells & Hammer for setting up my living trust... The whole process took about a month, but it was a fun learning experience working with James. I highly recommend his service! Thanks James :) read more

I worked with Adam Shiells to setup a trust. Adam was great to work with. He explained everything so I understood what was covered in the trust and what I needed to do to ensure I had everything I needed in the trust. I highly recommend Adam Shiells. read more

Nobody likes to plan for their own death. Unfortunately, as James explained it to me, I'd rather my estate gets passed to my family then stuck in probate court where taxes get to eat away at my lifetime of work. I'm a difficult person to work for. Luckily for him, James communicated with my wife on most matters, but definitely kept me in the loop and made me go through all the required hoops to fully understand what we were doing each step along the way. He answered all my questions. He made sure I understood his answers. He kept me abreast of best practices and all the legalese that we were dealing with. Thanks for your patience James. I hope I live forever and I get to tear this estate plan up. But if I don't, I'm confident we did the best we could for my kids. read more

When my mother in law needed to make changes to her trust, we engaged the services of James Hammer. He came to the skilled nursing facility where she resided and met with her and other family members. While he was obviously competent and professional, everyone immediately felt comfortable with his easy-going manner. He didn't come across as Mr. Big Shot attorney. He spent the time to listen to and answer all of her questions and explained all aspects of the trust in a way she could easily understand. After she passed, as trustee, I worked with James to administer her estate and trust. He took care of all the details and made sure that everything got done in a timely manner. Very good at keeping in contact with me. I highly recommend Shiells & Hammer! read more

James came to our home for a free consultation. They helped us set up new wills, a family trust, and all the paperwork one might need upon the death of a spouse. He is a great listener and made several helpful suggestions, highlighting important choices and giving guidance on various options, so we felt fully informed before going forward. The resulting documents provide a level of comfort for our family, knowing our wishes are documented and we won't be trying to make important decisions in a time of future grief. I highly recommend their services. read more

My wife and I just finished the estate planning process with James Hammer. He is knowledgeable and efficient. Best of all, with his humor and excellent communication skills, he made what would otherwise be a stressful situation very painless. We heartily recommend James Hammer and his estate planning services. read more

They helped me through a very difficult time after losing my father. They helped me get through the process of probate with ease. Not only did they make sure I was happy and comfortsble with every decision, they mafe sure I understood everything clearly. Very friendly and professional. James really wanted to help me, not just rush things. I strongly recommend Shiells & Hammer to anyone needing any kind of help from an attorney. read more

Sheills and Hammer are very knowledgeable, thorough, and ethical. I have referred friends and family to Adam and James with confidence they will be in good hands. read more

We were recommended to James by a family member who used his service. James is fabulous! We live in the Bay Area but that was no issue for James. He made multiple trips to met with us and was always super pleasant to work with. We highly recommend his firm. He was very knowledgeable, very sincere and offer great perspective on questions we had. I especially appreciate the interaction we had with him. Never was he once pushy or swayed us in our decisions but rather offer great personal insights toward our situation. read more

Can't say enough amazing things about James! He worked with us to do our trust with a mixed family and was amazing. He even provided us with the name of a trustee to make the process that much easier! I would give him 5 stars but he asked for 4! read more

James Hammer systematically led us through the process of creating our estate trust. James is able to convey legal concepts in simple terms, and does so with patience, thoroughness, and refreshing wit. I wholeheartedly recommend the firm of Shiells & Hammer. read more

We recently completed our trust/estate planning with James and I could not recommend him more. I appreciated that James comes to your house for appointments and was flexible with scheduling. James is incredibly personable and is great at making complex components easy to understand. While every scenario is different, James was much more affordable than some of the local attorneys I had inquired with. read more

Needed a living trust and couldn't find anything that I Trust. I decided to go with these two guys and gave them a chance since I might die one day. I contacted Adam and he showed up promptly and showed me how it works. He was very detailed about his work and I didn't know anything about it but to put my trust in him. He had all the paper work done and on time as quoted. Everything was done from A-Z, I didn't have much questions because he was very thorough in his passion for helping others plan matters like this. Now I am reassured that my belongings/assets will be in good hands. I definitely recommend these guys for anyone looking for professional help. read more

Our long time attorney retired and recommended Shiells & Hammer to provide advice and counsel related to our trust. Adam Shiells did a great job for us, making it easy to understand the legalize required. He and his staff are friendly and most helpful. I am happy to write a positive Yelp review for them. read more

Adam and James are fantastic to work with! They take their time to listen, and don't jump to solutions without knowing the full story of what their clients' needs are. They have great energy, and simplify the legal processes with the heart of a teacher. read more

Estate planning seemed like a much more daunting task before Adam and James stepped in. James was very precise and professional and took the time to really make everything easy to understand. He was even able to find a way to make himself flexible to meet MY schedule and lessen most of this planning burden from me. I would highly recommend their services to all my family, friends, and even their family. read more

James was the estate attorney for my mother, and guided me as Trustee through a very difficult time. He responded to every question, every problem I had while Trustee and advised some very tough decisions I had to make during the process of wrapping up my mothers' estate. I always felt supported and that the legal advice James gave me was solid. He went above and beyond just doing business, I felt like he genuinely cared about my family and my mothers' true interests. I will be creating my own estate plan with James Hammer because I completely trust him to advise me for the future of my children, and I highly, highly recommend him and his partner for estate planning. read more

Anyone in need of estate planning legal services couldn't find a better set of attorneys than Adam and James. Their creative approach to estate planning insures that they can work through a case with greater efficiency than most firms. With Adam's tech-savvy approach to estate planning and his experience in complex civil litigation, and James' experience in estate planning, you won't find a better advocate. Having known both of them for well over five years, I have turned to both of them for advice on my own cases and trust their expert advice. read more