If you intend to shop and compare estate planning attorneys, be sure to consider the following:
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Kavesh, Minor & Otis |
Other Firm |
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Do they specialize in estate planning?At Kavesh Minor & Otis, hereafter referred to as “KM&O,” estate planning is all that we do. We don’t just dabble in estate planning while practicing other areas of law. |
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Are they State Bar Certified Specialists?Anyone can say they specialize in estate planning, but only an attorney who has passed an extra Bar examination and been reviewed by his or her fellow professionals may call him or herself a “State Bar Certified Specialist”. At KM&O, we have three Specialists on staff. |
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Have they been in business over 35 years and set up thousands of estate plans?KM&O has been in business for over 35 years, all of which have been devoted exclusively to estate planning. During that time, KM&O has designed and built over 15,000 Living Trust estate plans, more than just about any other law firm in Southern California. |
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Have they handled thousands of estates and trusts after clients have passed away?This is when an estate plan is truly tested! At KM&O, we have handled over 4,000 trusts and estates after people have passed and we build the knowledge gained from that unique level of experience into the custom design of your Living Trust plan. |
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Are they recognized leaders in the estate planning field?KM&O has pioneered numerous innovations in estate planning, including the “Personal Asset TrustSM”, the “IRA Inheritance Trust®”, and the “Driver’s Manuals” for the Client, Trustee and Beneficiary. Furthermore, hundreds of estate planning attorneys from across the nation have paid to learn, license and use KM&O’s unique estate planning techniques and tools. |
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Have they been quoted as estate planning authorities in prestigious national publications?KM&O’s supervising attorney, Philip Kavesh, has been frequently quoted as an authority in The Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports magazine, as well as The Los Angeles Times, and has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows. |
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Do they provide you with a comprehensive “Owner’s Manual” that includes various valuable items besides your legal documents, as well as Manuals for your Successor Trustees and Beneficiaries?At KM&O, we provide an Owner’s Manual that includes a Checklist of Actions to be taken immediately if something happens to you, a Property Organizer to list your assets and where you keep important documents, plus other valuable tools—such as the Trust”ID Card” and Health Document “Emergency Card”—that may be needed in the case of your incapacity or death. Additionally, we provide Manuals for your Successor Trustee and your Beneficiaries so that they will know what to do when the time comes. These unique Manuals and tools help ensure that your estate plan will actually be carried out properly, in the manner you intended. |
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Do they provide a Free Service Package?At KM&O, we provide a unique Free Service Package after you set up or upgrade your estate plan. This package includes free phone calls any time you have questions, free checkup meetings every three years, and a free meeting with your Trustee when the time comes, as well as free newsletters and educational seminars to keep you informed as the laws and planning strategies change. You don’t want your plan to become stale and out-of-date! |
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Do they have a 12-Step Quality Control Process?At KM&O, we have a unique 12-Step Quality Control Process that assures that every client’s estate plan goes through several detailed reviews, not only by your attorney, but also by a senior paralegal with over 20 years of experience and often by a second and even third attorney as well. |
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Do they offer Medi-Cal benefits planning beyond just a Living Trust?A Living Trust alone can’t protect you and your loved ones from losing your home and life savings to excessive long-term nursing care costs. At KM&O, we offer additional planning that may qualify you for Medi-Cal benefits and protect you and your family, both financially and emotionally. |
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Do they have Advanced Tax Degrees and offer advanced level estate tax and asset protection planning beyond a Living Trust?At KM&O, we have several attorneys with Advanced Degrees in Tax Law. Plus, we offer advanced level estate tax and asset protection planning for clients with larger estates, particularly rental real estate owners. Even if you don’t need this now, you may later as your estate grows. |
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Remember, your estate planner is responsible for protecting your entire lifetime’s hard-earned assets, so choose your estate planner carefully!
NOTE: The statements made here are the opinions of the Law Firm of Kavesh Minor & Otis, Inc. and there are no legal or regulatory requirements that your estate planner meet all of these tests in order to properly prepare a Living Trust or other estate plan for you.
