Estate Planning

Estate planning isn’t for death; it’s actually for life! It enables you to enrich the lives of those you love. It’s so important, in fact, that EVERYONE already has an estate plan.

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Trust Administration

Trust Administration is the process of administering the estate of a deceased person who had a valid trust. The “estate” is the legal term for all the deceased person’s assets while “administering” the estate relates to making a final distribution of those assets.

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Probate Administration

Probate is the court process of administering the estate of a deceased person who did not have a trust. The “estate” is the legal term for all the deceased person’s assets while “administering” the estate relates to making a final distribution of those assets.

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Welcome to Cali Law

Estate planning should encompass more than just legal documents. It means protecting and providing for your children, no matter what, and leaving a lasting legacy for your family.

Our firm is really all about helping you prepare for life. We understand you are super busy, your family is growing, and you need a lawyer who makes things easy, convenient, and efficient. You want to know your plan will work for your loved ones when they need it most. You want to protect and provide for your children, no matter what. And you want to preserve and pass on your family legacy for generations to come.

We are here to help you and your family build and retain real wealth. We’ll maintain communication with you throughout your life and we encourage you to contact us with any questions. We’ll ensure your estate plan grows and evolves right along with you so it will continue to work, just as you intend, throughout your life.

We look forward to serving you.

Marc Garlett, Founder and Managing Attorney

Our Core Focus

The mission which drives us: empowering families to create lasting legacies.

The vision which guides us: Earning the privilege and honor of being our clients’ trusted advisors for life.

The core values which will get us there:

Showing up with a “can do” attitude, cheerful spirit, and passionate drive.
Reaching for excellence in everything we do; never being satisfied with “good enough.”
Taking a proactive and innovative approach to challenges. Challenges are opportunties!
Being accoutable for what we own. We don’t pass the buck, point fingers, or make excuses.
Doing the right thing – every time, always.

Our niche (how we make it all happen): Implementing legal and financial plans designed to protect our clients’ families, cultivate their wealth, and ensure their lives leave a meaningful impact on their loved ones and communities.

And our guarantee: You’ll love your plan or we’ll rework it until you do.

How Our Estate Planning Process Works

At most estate planning firms, the attorney-client relationship ends when you sign your documents and walk out the door. For us, however, the signing of your documents is just the beginning. We want your legal documents to be the start of, not the end of, our relationship with you. We can best serve you and support your goals as your trusted advisor, rather than merely your document preparer. We want to be there for you and your family, throughout your lives, to offer guidance and counsel as your situation changes and your assets grow.

We work closely with you to design a plan that fits your personal situation and family goals. But we don’t leave it at that. We continue to work closely with you even after you sign your documents, to ensure all your assets are properly transferred and protected by your plan. You’ll also have a full 90 days to make changes to your planning documents at no additional charge. And we’ll be available to answer any questions you have about your plan, again, at no additional charge.

Step 1
Make An Appointment
Step 2
Complete an Estate Planning Worksheet
Step 3
Attend Your Estate Planning Session

What Clients Are Saying

We appreciate Marc’s attention to detail as he thought of so many things that we did not know about. We had no knowledge of the process, but we knew a trust was important. We trust that Marc has our best intentions in mind and feel good that we can reach out and ask for help as well at any time. He is a family man and it shows in his commitment and dedication toward protecting our family.

Matthew R.

Marc is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with. His team recently helped us put together our trust and Child Protection Plan. Life can take unexpected, unpredictable turns. We wanted to ensure that our children will have the kind of lifestyle and opportunities that we always hoped for, even if we could no longer be with them. Thank you Marc!

Sherry S.

What sets Marc apart is his ability to think out the future. Marc has excellent vision for the needs of families, especially those with young children. He is proactive in his approach, genuinely cares about the needs of his clients, and is responsive. An absolute pleasure to work with, I highly recommend Marc for estate planning and advise on small business issues.

Monica C.

Marc is a genuinely good human being. The fact that he’s an attorney is a means to an end for helping people, with empathy, and doing the right thing. My wife and I set up our family trust with him for the benefit of our new family. We feel empowered knowing we’ve taken this important step and having Marc guide us through the process was like having a collaborator on our team ensuring everything was done properly, thoroughly, and with the utmost care. We recommend Marc and call him a friend.

Richard N.

How to Begin Your Estate Plan

If you’re ready for a unique estate planning experience that caters to your needs, supports your goals, and provides you with the peace of mind knowing your family is taken care of just as you intend, give us a call at (626) 355-4000.

Schedule an Appointment

Schedule an Estate Planning Session with Marc. Don’t worry, there is no pressure during your appointment and no obligation after it. The sole purpose of this session is to help you get educated and to make sure all your questions get answered.

Click here to schedule an appointment online or call our office at 626.355.4000 to schedule an appointment over the phone.

Complete an Estate Planning Worksheet

As soon as you schedule your Estate Planning Session, we’ll send you an Estate Planning Worksheet. We ask that you fill it out and return it to us at least three days in advance of your appointment. The worksheet – a completely confidential questionnaire – is designed to help you focus in on the important legal and financial information necessary to get your estate plan in order. Completing this “homework” before your appointment will ensure your time with Marc is as productive as possible and will have you feeling more organized and put together than you have felt in a long time. Maybe ever.

Attend Your Session and Consider Your Plan

During the Session, Marc will walk you through “what would happen” to all that you own and everyone you love, if anything were to happen to you now. If “what would happen” matches your goals, you can put your mind at ease. You’re all set. You will leave with the peace of mind knowing your goals are being met. There’s no need to do more planning until your family situation, financial assets, or planning goals change. If, however, there are gaps between your goals and what would actually happen, Marc will help you identify them so you know exactly what needs to be fixed. If you want to do that planning with us, Marc can help you design a plan on the spot. If not, at least you’ll know what the issues are and have a chance to get all of your questions answered.

What Happens Next

We are interested in forming a relationship with you and your family, for life. We are NOT in the business of merely creating documents for you to sign and sending you on your way. The only “sure” thing in life is change, which means your assets, family size, and even your goals will grow in different ways throughout the course of your life. This means you must have a plan that grows with you.

The fact is, if your plan is not consistently updated over time, your family may not be taken care of in the proper manner. This is why each of our Estate Plans includes a complimentary review every three years.

Consumer Report

6 Secrets Other Estate Attorneys May Not Be Telling You

One of the most important decisions regarding your estate plan is choosing an attorney to guide your family through the planning process. Choose the RIGHT estate attorney and you can rest assured a legacy of love and financial security will be preserved for your family. Choose the WRONG estate attorney, and your plan might not work the way you intend, or your legacy may be left to chance. Learn the 6 mistakes you must avoid when choosing an estate planning attorney by downloading our free guide.

Click Here to Download This FREE Guide