For over 18 years, founding attorney Matt Shafae has focused exclusively on estate planning and trust and estate administration, bringing deep expertise and clarity to every client interaction. We provide comprehensive guidance throughout the estate planning process to help you achieve your unique goals.
We offer legal advice and counsel, and draft all of your estate planning documents for one flat fee of $5,335. Our comprehensive Estate Plan includes the tools listed below, the transfer of one California property into the trust (often, the family home) and all recording and notarization fees.
Estate Planning Tools
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A California revocable living trust is a legal arrangement in which you transfer title to your assets into a trust you control during your lifetime, naming yourself as trustee and a successor trustee to step in when you die or become incapacitated.
Because the trust is revocable, you can amend or dissolve it at any time. At death, the assets pass under the trust’s terms without court-supervised probate, preserving privacy and reducing delay for beneficiaries.
Married couples create one joint living trust.
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A California pour-over will is a short testamentary document that “catches” any assets you forgot to title in your revocable living trust and directs (or “pours”) them into that trust at death.
It names an executor—often the same person as your successor trustee—and can handle guardianship nominations for minor children.
Because the pour-over transfer happens through the will, those leftover assets still pass through probate, so this document serves as a safety net rather than a replacement for proper trust funding.
Each spouse in a married couple needs their own will.
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A Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) is a written authorization in which you, the “principal,” appoint someone you trust as “agent” or “attorney-in-fact” to handle financial and other non-medical matters on your behalf.
Unlike an ordinary power of attorney, it remains valid—or “durable”—even if you later become incapacitated, allowing the agent to pay bills, manage investments, file taxes, or sign legal documents without court involvement.
The principal can amend or revoke the DPOA any time while competent, and the agent must act in the principal’s best interest until the authority ends automatically at the principal’s death.
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A California Advance Health-Care Directive (sometimes called a medical power of attorney plus living-will instructions) lets you appoint an agent to make treatment decisions and spell out your wishes—such as resuscitation limits or end-of-life care—if you become unable to communicate.
A HIPAA Authorization is a separate but companion document that waives federal privacy rules so doctors and hospitals may share your protected medical information with the people you name, including your health-care agent.
Used together, the directive empowers someone to act, while the HIPAA release ensures they can see the records and talk to providers needed to make informed choices on your behalf.
The Estate Planning Process
Guiding you through an efficient estate planning experience typically takes about five weeks, depending on your availability. Below is a step-by-step overview of the process.
1. Retain Shafae Law
We offer estate planning services for a flat fee of $5,335.
To get started, you’ll pay a deposit when retaining our firm, with the remaining balance due at your signing appointment.
2. Complete the Estate Planning Questionnaire
Our proprietary questionnaire is designed to capture both the tangible (your assets) and intangible (your goals, values, and priorities), helping us craft a plan that is both comprehensive and personal.
Complete it from the comfort of your home in about 45 minutes.
You don’t need to have all the answers—this simply prepares us for a productive design meeting where we’ll review everything together.
3. Design and Review Meetings
This is the heart of our process. In these video-conference meetings, your attorney will:
Walk through your questionnaire and priorities, answering questions and recommending the right strategies for your situation.
Collaborate with you to design your trust and finalize decisions with clarity and confidence.
Review your documents so you understand what you’re signing and why it works.
4. Signing Appointment
This is when your estate plan becomes legally binding and when you’ll finalize payment of your remaining balance.
You’ll schedule your appointment through our remote notary partner.
During the appointment, you’ll sign your documents at a time and place convenient for you.
After your signing, our office will reach out to answer any final questions.
5. Fund Your Trust
An estate plan is only complete once your assets are properly aligned with it.
We prepare the documents needed to fund your trust.
We remain available as an ongoing resource if questions come up, and we’ll periodically check in with helpful reminders and support.
To get started, let us know you’d like to retain Shafae Law.
You can also email at info@shafaelaw.com or call at 650-389-9797.