Jennifer Brown Inc.

Estate Planning Attorney Practice Areas

Quick Links to Each of Our Practice Areas

Advanced Health Care Directives

Probate & Post-Death Administration

Our Revocable Living Trust packages allow our clients to choose the succession plan for control of their affairs, protection from death or estate taxes, as well as building a well thought out distribution plan to transfer their assets to their loved ones upon their death, avoiding a court-supervised Probate action.

In addition to the standard Revocable Living Trust plan, we can assist with customized trusts for minor children and Special Needs Trusts for individuals with disabilities. There are a variety of planning tools available to customize a plan to meet your individual needs.

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Wills & Guardianship

A Will is a necessary part of modern-day estate planning. If you have limited assets, a “Simple Will” may be all you need to ensure your wishes are followed upon your death. If your estate contains more valuable assets, a Living Trust plan will include a “Pour-Over Will” to capture assets left out of a Trust and direct them back to the Trust. The Pour Over Will is used to ensure that your trust plan will still succeed, even if Court intervention is needed.

If you have minor children, you need to know that you have selected the right person to have custody and legal authority over them should you pass away prior to their adulthood. A Guardianship nomination allows you to do just that. We include guardianship nominations within a Will.

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DURABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY

A Durable Power of Attorney for Asset Management allows the appointment of an individual to step in on your behalf to manage your financial affairs during any period when you are unable to do so. Durable Powers of Attorney can be “springing” to take effect upon incapacity, or “immediate” to take effect upon signing and execution of the document. We help you determine which option is better for you based on your individual circumstance. This is a vital component of any estate plan.

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Advanced Health Care Directives

This document provides the peace of mind that every individual needs. The Directive allows you to name a health care decision-maker to act on your behalf if you are unable to make your own medical decisions.

The directive guides your selected agent with your specific wishes for things like organ donation, end-of-life wishes, religious preferences, and after-death burial or cremation instructions. Every adult should have an Advance Health Care Directive.

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"I highly recommend Jennifer Brown without reservation."

Ken F. – Sacramento, CA – Client

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Ongoing Maintenance

Once you create an estate plan, it will be necessary to periodically review (and possibly update) the plan. Our office makes the amendment process cost-effective and efficient to encourage clients to update their trust when needed. We are a full-service estate planning firm and can help you with follow-up aspects of having these legal documents in place. We also are here to serve in support of clients who may need coordinated planning with financial planners and tax professionals. We are happy to work alongside with your trusted advisors.

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Trust Funding

Many people require a trust in their estate plan to provide the right care and control of the assets they want to transfer to their family. However, that plan is not complete until the trust has been “funded.”

That means, once you create the trust, you will need to re-title your assets into the name of the trust. This step is required for your trust to function properly, and many attorneys fail to emphasize this or provide any instructions to their clients about how this is done. We will assist you with this process and will give you all the tools you need to succeed.

Probate & Trust Administration

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Trust Administration

After your death, we work alongside your Successor Trustee to implement your wishes in accordance with California law and the terms of your estate plan. Trust administration generally includes sending the required notifications to beneficiaries and creditors, marshalling / inventorying trust assets, preparing the trust accounting and coordinating asset distributions to beneficiaries. Winding up a decedent’s affairs can be confusing and overwhelming, but we are here to help.

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Non-probate asset transfers (Probate Code §13100)

If an individual passes away with minimal assets (with value under the probate threshold, set at $184,500.00 by California law) and no real estate is vested in their name, it may be possible to utilize a non-probate asset transfer procedure to allow the rightful heir(s) to take title to the asset. We can help you prepare the necessary form and direct you accordingly.

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Traditional California Probate

If you or your loved one die without a trust, and there was no other named co-owner or beneficiary on a specific asset, and if the asset(s) total(s) more than $166,250.00, the probate threshold as set by California law, then a Probate action must be filed with the Court. We will work with your Executor (if there was a Will) or Estate Administrator (if there was no Will) to navigate the Court proceedings, appear at hearings, and keep track of all statutory timelines and requirements through the conclusion of the probate when the Judge renders the final Order.

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Probate Code §850 Petition (Heggstad)

Occasionally, even with a Trust, court intervention may be required to transfer assets to the Trustee if the assets were not properly transferred to the trust during the lifetime of the trust maker (i.e. if the trust maker did not properly fund their Trust). While not as expensive or time consuming as a probate, a court Petition must be filed and a legal argument made to successfully transfer the asset to the trust after the death of the trust maker (to help avoid probate of that asset).

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Other Probate Court Actions

Small Estate Affidavit, Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property; Spousal Property Petitions

There are a variety of alternatives available through the Probate Court to transfer assets that may not require a full Probate but do require Court Orders to transfer the asset to the rightful recipient. We can assist with most matters of Court Proceedings for a decedent’s estate.

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Feedback From Clients

Our Success is Measured By Your Satisfaction

format_quoteI have had the pleasure of working with Jennifer in both a professional and a personal capacity. We have collaborated on several mutual clients over the years, and I was so impressed by her work that I hired her to do my own estate plan.

Rachel B, CFP

format_quote"Jennifer did a great job setting up our trust. We had specific needs to be addressed and she was very knowledgeable and thorough. She is very personable to work with. I would highly recommend her services."

Linda S.

Google Review

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"Jennifer gave us outstanding service and made our life easier by explaining in detail what we needed to provide and include in our Trust. We put this off for a very long time because we were afraid to tackle it. She was patient and spoke in clear language so we understood what was important and what steps we needed to take. We highly recommend her services."

Amelia C.

Google Reviews

format_quote"One of the most honest people you will work with. Polite, professional, attentive to detail but does not forget she is working with human beings. Customer care is number one in this office. Thank you Jennifer for everything , yet thank you does not even come close. You are exactly where you need to be."

Joyce L.

Google Review

format_quoteJennifer Brown made the trust process seamless. So very organized and that truly helps us. Not scary at all!!! I can’t say enough accolades for Jennifer Brown! Truly helping people!!! We are very grateful for her and her expertise.

Patricia and Frank M.

format_quoteMy daughter had given me Jennifer's name, but it was my initial meeting with her and her attention to detail and ability to make clear what I would be able to accomplish with her expertise and her calm demeanor put be at ease immediately.

Mary G

Roseville, CA

format_quoteTrust, confidence and responsiveness are the most important things when working with an estate planning attorney. Jennifer Brown will accomplish all of these things for you.

Melissa L

format_quoteWhat my wife and I value most about Jennifer is that she is straight to the point, and the depth of her knowledge. I highly recommend Jennifer Brown without reservation.

Ken F

Sacramento, CA

format_quoteI have known Jennifer Brown for many years. She is knowledgeable, responsive and has a caring approach towards her clients. I am comfortable referring my own clients to her because I know she will take great care of them.