Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died too soon at the age of 54 in January. We often believe that the wealthiest of families will benefit from the very best possible legal, tax and estate planning advice. Part of the Presley legacy, so far, appears to be the failure to carefully create good, effective estate plans.
The “right people” would be the person whom Elvis and Lisa Marie truly wanted to benefit. The reference to the “right people” also means ensuring that your desired beneficiaries or heirs actually receive the inheritance. This is important for us all, but particularly important for blended families.
The reference to the “right time” would be giving control over the assets to those loved ones at a time when the heirs or beneficiaries are financially mature enough to benefit from them for an entire lifetime and beyond, instead of simply spending the money on cars or temporary improvements to their lifestyle.
Finally, keeping the “wrong people out” means minimizing tax and administrative costs, protecting assets through the heir’s lifetime from lawsuits, divorce, creditors or other claims and from a second level of estate tax upon their death. A good estate plan provides protection from in-laws, outlaws, financial predators and the taxman.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Estate planning is the process of establishing a Trust, Will, Durable Power of Attorney, and other related documents during your lifetime.
Estate Administration
Probate
Probate is the legal proceeding supervised by the Superior Court used to transfer title to assets when a person is deceased.
Estate Litigation
Advanced Estate Planning
Families with substantial estates require additional strategies beyond a typical Estate Plan to reduce and offset Estate Tax liabilities.
Conservatorship
Our Locations
The quickest way to get assistance is to contact us directly at 310-316-2400 or by emailing us at info@ledwitzlaw.com.
Life Events
New Families
Nearing Retirement
Recent Loss
Recent Blogs
California Estate Planning Laws and your Family – Second in a Series: California Probate Law Basics
In California, probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person. The purpose of probate is to ensure that the deceased person’s assets are distributed according to their will or, if they did not have a will, according to the laws of the state.
If the deceased person had a will, the will must be filed with the probate court in the county where the deceased person lived at the time of their death
California Estate Planning Laws and your Family – First in a Series: Bicycle Laws – California Vehicle Codes
When parents plan their estate distribution, it is almost always centered around the idea that they are going to make their children’s lives better.
All the parents’ hard work, legacy, morals, beliefs, and visions are for the benefit of the child to pass it along generation to generation.
The Slayer Statute
“Oh you are an Attorney, I have a question or two for you…?” July 4th BBQ’s and other social events are always a fun time to gather and talk to people you haven’t seen for awhile. Some people talk about their kids, jobs, and vacations. And then there are the others. These people find out what you do for a living and then ask you law school finals questions.
Client Reviews
Very professional service 
bajabltz23:07 27 Nov 24 Ready to do business and handle any trust issues. mary grimes06:15 09 Jun 22 I’ve dealt with 3 different lawyers in regards to my will, my trust. and my LLCI’ve spent... thousands of dollars.This is by far the best experience I’ve had, he’s handling all that, eliminating the LLC, putting my houses back in my name, he’s fair and has a great attitude.I don’t have to go to another lawyer again!read moreRed Castro06:58 31 May 22 Super friendly and helpful staff. Felt confident with their services from the start. Roxanne Ramirez18:14 07 May 22 Samuel Ledwitz has been my attorney for years. Friendly, knowledgeable and accessible. mary emily smiley06:43 06 Mar 22 I am so pleased with everything about this law firm. Thank you Attorney Ledwitz for all your help... and information. Creating my Trust with your firm was a great experience and done in a timely manner. I will highly recommend your business to anyone. Once again, THANK YOU!read moreJenniffeir Suarez03:48 14 Jan 22 I heard about this firm through a friend of mine and decided to make an appointment to see them.I... was so impressed with how confidant and comfortable I felt putting my case in their hands.read moreMercedes Morales21:01 19 Oct 21 Thank you Sam for all your help! Desiree Gasca18:41 19 Oct 21 By Darren Chaker: Having dealt with San Diego attorneys too long, I was happy to accompany a friend... there office to update a trust. The staff was very professional, attorneys could articulate a response for any question posed. Definitely talented attorneys.read moreDarren Chaker17:40 20 Oct 20 My wife and I completed our Estate Planning from The Law Firm of Bezaire. we were thinking about... having our estate planning done from last couple of years and it's all done .. Thanks to The Law Firm of Bezaire!!read moreVerna Gonzalez19:15 12 Dec 19 We got our trust restated The Law Firm of Bezaire and we are very satisfied with the service we... have received. They answered all of our questions quickly and made this process easy for us. We would definitely recommend this firm to our friends and families. Thank you!read moreGloria Smith17:43 22 Nov 19 Fantastic firm! Richard Knapp02:52 10 Jul 19 The people there are just plain friendly and helpful. Couldn't get better service Jill Gilliam20:54 25 Apr 19 I was referred by a very close family friend to Bezaire, Ledwitz and Associates to do my... Grandmother's Will and have me act as Power of Attorney for my Grandmother quite a few years back. Every time we needed legal assistance, the staff has always been professional and The Law Firm of Bezaire accommodating and because of this, I have always recommended their firm to others as wellread moreBryan C. Carrington09:05 13 Feb 19 We’ve dealt with Bezaire, Ledwitz and Associates on numerous occasions for Estate Planning matters... and have been very happy with their services and friendly manner. They helped us with family estates, real estate and is our first choice for the updating of our wills in the near future. I strongly recommend them.read moreJames D. Barker09:36 12 Feb 19 My family and I have dealt with The Law Firm of Bezaire, Ledwitz and Associates numerous times for... Estate Planning matters - always finding them compassionate, approachable, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend them.read moreJack N. Goulet04:24 12 Feb 19 The Law Firm of Bezaire did a last-minute will for my mother with very little advance notice. The... staff did a fantastic job!read moreLathen Cheas04:20 12 Feb 19 only the best says it all !!! VERY happy with Mr. Samuel Ledwitz esq. and staff.Now I have peace... of mind thank-you .read moreWillow Jones-Heger22:46 07 Jan 19 We had a great experience dealing with Samuel Ledwitz when it was time to revise and update our... family trust and legal documents. We feel very confident that we are in very good hands, and that our estate and our legal affairs will be handled with the utmost professional and personal care. Highly recommended.read moreAnn Imberman21:42 22 Aug 18 I was very happy with how my estate planning was handled by Sam Ledwitz & Associates. I would... highly recommend this firm.read moreandrea mitchell21:55 19 Jan 18
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