Estate planning, trust and probate services in Orange County
Bezaire & Leathers is an Irvine law firm whose practice focuses on estate planning, trusts and probate. We help people plan ahead for their property and their care, and we help families settle things after a death or when someone can no longer manage their own affairs.
Which service fits your situation?
| Your situation | Where to start |
|---|---|
| You want to decide who inherits and who makes decisions if you cannot | Estate planning |
| You are choosing between a will and a living trust, or your trust needs updating | Wills and trusts |
| Someone has died and you are named trustee of their trust | Trust administration |
| Someone has died without a trust, and their property is in their name alone | Probate |
| You want to leave money to someone with a disability without affecting their benefits | Special needs trusts |
| An adult can no longer manage their care or finances, and there is no power of attorney | Conservatorships |
Not sure which one applies? Call (714) 543-6829. We will tell you where to start.
Planning ahead
Estate planning
A set of documents that says who receives your property, who manages it if you cannot, and who makes health care decisions for you. In California a plan can include a will, a revocable living trust, a durable power of attorney and an advance health care directive, prepared to work together.
Wills and trusts
A will names who inherits and who cares for minor children. A living trust can pass property to your family without probate court, once the trust is funded. We explain the difference and help you choose.
Special needs trusts
A trust that holds money for a person with a disability so it can pay for extras without counting against needs-based benefits like SSI and Medi-Cal. We prepare first-party and third-party trusts.
Help after a death or an incapacity
Trust administration
The work a successor trustee does after the person who made the trust dies: notices, assets, debts, taxes, records and distributions. We guide trustees through each step.
Probate
The court process for settling an estate that was not held in a trust. In Orange County, probate cases are heard at the Costa Mesa Justice Complex. We prepare the filings and appear at the hearings.
Conservatorships
A court case in which a judge appoints someone to manage the care or finances of an adult who cannot. We help families decide whether it is needed and guide them through the court process.
Start with a free consultation
Call (714) 543-6829, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, or request a free consultation. We will listen, explain your options and outline the scope, timing and fee before you decide.