San Francisco Estate Planning Services

Serving Families throughout the Bay Area

It is never too early to start preparing for the future. Though it can be unpleasant to ponder how your family will carry on once you are unable to care for them, estate planning is a vital process if you wish to provide your loved ones with financial stability and a promising future while avoiding the probate process.

Whether you are starting from scratch or making amendments to an existing plan, the estate planning attorneys at O’Neil & Rueppel, LLP can help you navigate the process, meeting with Northern Californian clients in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Larkspur. At our Bay Area law firm, we strive to clear the air about the many complex aspects of trust and estate planning so that you can feel confident about the plan we create.

Wills & Trusts

Wills and trusts are two of the most important building blocks of an effective estate plan. Your last will and testament or revocable living trust outline your wishes upon your death. It provides guidelines for your loved ones as to how you want your assets, property, and debts addressed when you are gone.

Trust administration is important to hold assets for beneficiaries. There are several different types of trusts that allow you to specify how and when you want the contents to be passed onto the named beneficiaries. Unlike wills, trusts are not subject to the probate process or part of the public record, they can reduce administration fees, shelter assets from MediCal recovery, and provide for long-term asset management so that your beneficiaries do not inherit until they reach an age when they can responsibly manage their share of the assets.

The estate attorneys at O’Neil & Rueppel, LLP can help you establish a trust or draft a will, explaining the process along the way.

Special Needs Planning

Families with members who have disabilities or special needs, such as addiction issues, often require more careful and attentive planning.

Our compassionate and respectful attorneys can help you understand your options when it comes to special needs estate planning.

Power of Attorney

A power of attorney grants someone the right to make certain decisions on your behalf in the event that you are unable to do so. This privilege is often assigned to a loved one when someone is mentally incapacitated or terminally ill.

There are two primary types of power of attorney: For Financial Affairs, and an Advance Health Care Directive. A Power of Attorney for Financial Affairs gives someone you nominate the power to manage your assets and liabilities during your incapacity. An Advance Health Care Directive, allows your designated agent to manage your medical care, quality of life, pain management, end-of-life decisions, and final disposition. Both of these powers of attorney may be limited, durable, or general.

If you become incapacitated without setting up powers of attorney for financial affairs and health care, your loved ones will be forced to seek a conservatorship of the person and/or estate, which will be a costly, stressful, and time-consuming ordeal for both you and them.

Regardless of your estate planning needs, you can count on O’Neil & Rueppel, LLP to provide the services you are seeking. With our help, you can create and implement an effective plan that will serve your family well.