At the Oakley Law Group, we do only one thing, and we do it well: We address a particular set of concerns:
- You want to spare your loved ones from any additional grief, stress and expense in inheriting your assets once you are gone.
- This weighs heavily on you, makes you feel anxious, nervous, stressed and not quite in control.
- You’ve worked hard to accumulate what you have and it is wrong that the government, court system, creditors or gold diggers will become involved and deprive your loved ones of the full fruits of your labor.
- You want to have the Peace of Mind knowing that you are leaving your legacy to your loved ones in the most efficient and stress-free manner possible.
We serve as your trusted guide to resolve these concerns and help you achieve that Peace of Mind.
When firm founder Steven Oakley opened the Oakley Law Group, he saw an opportunity to transform the experience that people have in creating an estate plan. He envisioned the creation of an estate plan as the first step in a lifelong relationship with clients as their trusted advisor.
To make his dream a reality, he built his law practice around certain core values that continue to be at the heart of what we do. Those values include:
- A true passion for what we do
- Good plans are those driven by purpose, not just avoiding probate and taxes
- Belief that our work makes a real difference for our clients and in our community
- Every client and family is unique; there are no “canned” or pre-set planning solutions
- Experienced, dedicated and educated staff who share the same passion
- That creating an estate plan is not about getting a client, but rather it is about the relationship
In summary, we want the experience of working with the Oakley Law Group to be about creating and then staying in Peace of Mind. It begins with a simple process to create a robust estate plan while de-mystifying the confusing world of Wills and Trusts. After the planning is completed, we provide each Living Trust client with our unique Continuum of Care Support Services for life, at no additional cost. We call this comprehensive process OAKLEY LAW GROUP | ESTATE PLANNING.
Because the best things in life are not things at all, we at Oakley Law Group have pioneered the practice in Greater Los Angeles County of Legacy Wealth Planning. A Legacy Wealth Plan is about more than simply using a Living Trust as a roadmap for the distribution of property after death, or about saving taxes and avoiding probate. A Legacy Wealth Plan uses a Living Trust to build a plan based on your beliefs, values and ideals when you pass your wealth to younger generations.
Examples may be creating a trust that promotes and rewards education for your children or grandchildren, if that is what is important to you. Or you can create a trust that is specially designed to keep family wealth within the family, even in the face of children’s divorces, lawsuits, remarriage of a spouse, or inexperienced or spendthrift heirs who may use poor judgment. The opportunities are limitless when you take a holistic view of estate planning by considering what happens to your wealth when heirs receive it, and how the money may affect the lives of your family.
We understand that Peace of Mind extends beyond setting up a plan and must include protecting family wealth. That is why we include provisions in our estate plans that allow families to protect their assets from the high cost of nursing home care if the need for such care becomes inevitable. We also help the families of our clients in settling their affairs and carrying out their wishes when the estate plan must be implemented.
As a member of Wealth Counsel and the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, The Oakley Law Group is able to offer clients even more value. Members of Wealth Counsel and the Academy concentrate their law practices in the area of estate planning and reinforce their expertise daily by dedicating their efforts to clients concerned with preserving what they have accumulated for future generations.
These are both national organizations dedicated to promoting excellence in estate planning by providing its exclusive membership of attorneys with up-to-date research on estate and tax planning, educational materials, and other important resources to empower them to provide superior estate planning services. In fact, Academy members must have at least 36 hours of legal education each year specifically in estate, tax, probate and/or elder law subjects, that’s more than four times what the state of California requires.
The vast network of highly skilled attorneys offers a wide range of benefits to our clients. For example, we can provide you with access to a nationwide network of qualified attorneys who can assist you with out-of-state transfers of title, provide help should you move to another state, or simply offer a referral to an out-of-state friend or family member who needs estate planning help.
As part of the community, the Oakley Law Group is a proud supporter of many community organizations, such as Kiwanis Clubs, Shriner’s for Children Medical Centers and Quake Safe Seniors.
Estate Planning
Through the use of Living Trusts, Wills (simple & complex), Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Irrevocable Trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, and Charitable Gifting Strategies, our firm helps families preserve their wealth for future generations, minimize estate taxes, and avoid the expense and nightmare of probate.
We provide comprehensive, tailored estate planning services to meet all of our clients’ needs. Below is a sampling of the type of services we offer. If you have questions about any of our services, please do not hesitate to contact us or call us at (818) 937-2335.
Legacy Planning
Legacy Planning is a more holistic approach to estate planning. We help clients preserve their financial wealth and their legacy, including their life stories and family heirlooms, for future generations. Our non-traditional planning methods include special provisions and protections in Living Trusts, Wills (simple & complex), Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Irrevocable Trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, and Charitable Gifting Strategies. This planning also includes minimizing estate taxes, avoiding the expense and nightmare of probate, protecting against remarriage after death of the 1st spouse, and protecting beneficiaries from a possible future divorce.
Family-owned Businesses & Farms
Our law firm offers estate planning assistance for the unique needs of Family Businesses and Farms. We help clients preserve this important part of their legacy for future generations.
Estate Planning For The LGBTQ Community
We offer guidance and assistance to members of the LGBTQ Community on their unique estate planning needs. This includes assistance in setting up Living Trusts, and Health Care Directives.
Incapacity Planning
Our law firm helps clients create a plan to handle their affairs in the event of an incapacity before they pass away. This includes planning to avoid a Living Probate or Guardianship proceeding.
IRA & Retirement Planning
Our law firm has experience in the complex area of estate planning with IRAs and other retirement plans. We help ensure clients and their beneficiaries are protected by employing tax reduction techniques.
Elder Law & Medi-Cal Services
We help clients qualify for government medical benefits legally and ensure their estates are preserved for their families, instead of their nest egg being wiped out by high nursing home expenses.
Asset Protection & Business Planning
We help clients who are small business owners and those who are most susceptible to being sued by assisting with Lawsuit and Asset Protection. We also assist with Business Succession Planning and Small Business Planning. Some of the tools and strategies used are Family Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies and Buy-Sell Agreements.
Estate Planning And Your Pets
Our firm cares about the welfare of your pets. Your beloved pets need to be protected in the event you are no longer there to take care of them. Estate Planning and implementing a Pet’s Trust can ensure that your pets are provided for after your death.
Special Needs Planning
We offer assistance to clients who have special needs family members by creating Special Needs Estate Plans. These tailored plans help them preserve government benefits while having their loved one cared for in all areas of their life: financial, educational and medical, and most importantly, their emotional and personal needs in the future.
Trust Administration & Probate
We help families who have experienced the loss of a loved one with the ensuing Probate or Trust Administration process.
