Protect Your Family, Your Manhattan Beach Home, and Your Peace of Mind
Manhattan Beach
Toll Free:1-800-756-5596
Most Manhattan Beach residents can reach our office in approximately 20–25 minutes. We serve Manhattan Beach clients from our Torrance office.
Thoughtful estate planning isn’t merely about legal paperwork.
It’s about knowing that the people you love will be cared for.
That the assets you’ve worked a lifetime to build will be properly protected, and that your family will have clear guidance when they need it most — not confusion, stress, and the expenses and delays of court proceedings.
Have spent years building a successful career. Purchased a Manhattan Beach home that has become one of the family’s most valuable assets — and one of its most complex planning considerations. Raised children whom they continue to protect and provide for. Have reached retirement, or are planning toward it.
Now your priorities may be changing — more about protecting your wealth and the people you love: your spouse, your children, perhaps your grandchildren, and your legacy.
As a Manhattan Beach Resident, You May Be Asking Yourself…
After decades of appreciation in the South Bay real estate market, how will I be able to pass down my Manhattan Beach home with the least amount of property tax reassessment and estate taxes?
How will I avoid probate court — and its complications, delays, expenses, and unwanted publicity — if I or my spouse becomes incapacitated or passes away?
How can I minimize court guardianship complications for my young children?
Can I better protect my children’s inheritances from potential bad decisions or poor spending habits, and from claims of spouses, divorces, creditors, and lawsuits?
Do I need special planning because I have a blended family with children from several marriages?
Is my existing living trust still doing everything it should — or has enough changed that it needs to be reviewed and updated?
How can I preserve wealth across generations while minimizing stress, confusion, and conflict for my family?
From the Sand Section and the Hill Section to Manhattan Village and East Manhattan Beach, Kavesh, Minor & Otis has worked with homeowners, high-income professionals, executives, business owners, and retirees who want sophisticated estate planning designed to address these and other important concerns. With proper planning, your desired goals can be achieved.
Take the Most Important First Step
The first step isn’t hiring an attorney. It’s understanding your options.
That’s why we’ve developed educational tools, seminars, reports, videos, and answers to frequently asked questions that help South Bay families get started before they ever see or retain any attorney. Informed consurmers make better decisions — and end up with estate plans that actually serve their wishes and their families as intended.
Frequently Asked Questions from Manhattan Beach Families
Can Proposition 19 create property tax problems for children inheriting a Manhattan Beach home?
Potentially, yes. Because many Manhattan Beach homes have appreciated substantially in value, Proposition 19 can sometimes result in a major property tax increase when a property passes to children or other beneficiaries. Proper estate planning and periodic review may help families better understand and implement available options to minimize those consequences.
Do Manhattan Beach families still need a living trust if they already have a will?
In many cases, yes. A will alone may still require a probate court procedure during incapacity or after death, which can result in unnecessary delays, expenses, and publicity. Given the value of most Manhattan Beach homes and estates, the cost and exposure of probate court can be substantial. A properly funded living trust is designed to help your family avoid that process entirely.
What happens if a parent becomes incapacitated without proper estate planning documents?
Without appropriate incapacity planning documents — beyond just a living trust, including powers of attorney and other related legal documents — family members may need to seek court involvement to manage financial or healthcare decisions. Proper estate planning is specifically designed to help Manhattan Beach families avoid unnecessary court proceedings during an already difficult time.
Does KMO help families after the death of a loved one?
Yes. In addition to estate planning, KMO assists families with trust administration and probate matters after death, including helping successor trustees and family members understand their responsibilities and implement the right next steps. KMO has helped more than 4,000 families successfully administer their living trusts after death — more than just about any other estate planning and administration law firm in the South Bay.
Are high-value homes, rental real estate, and other investment properties treated differently in estate planning?
They often require more careful planning. Families with substantial real estate holdings may need to address issues involving property and estate taxes, liability exposure, asset protection planning, trust funding, and multi-generational planning strategies. This is an area where the depth of KMO’s experience — with both planning and trust administration — makes a meaningful difference.
Is KMO conveniently located for Manhattan Beach residents?
Yes. Many Manhattan Beach families are pleasantly surprised to learn how short a drive KMO’s South Bay office is from their neighborhood — particularly compared to traveling to West LA, Century City, or downtown Los Angeles for this level of specialized experience.
Why So Many Manhattan Beach Families Have Chosen Kavesh, Minor & Otis (“KMO”) — Experience Matters
KMO has helped South Bay families exclusively in estate planning, living trust, trust administration, and probate since 1987 — four decades of focused experience.
Created more than 10,000 South Bay estate plans, empowering our attorneys with unmatched practical knowledge of what works for real local families.
Administered more than 4,000 trusts after the maker has passed — another unique level of first hand experience that's built into every plan we create.
Three attorneys who have earned the prestigious designation as a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law — among the highest credentials available in this field.
KMO maintains a lifetime relationship with our clients, including complimentary trust reviews every three years to keep your plan current with changes in your life and California law.
We provide hands-on trustee training and guidance so the transition someday is much easier and family harmony is preserved.
“Peter Keon was very professional, competent and helpful. We strongly recommend Kavesh Law Firm if you are interested in a reliable implementation of your trust.”
Conveniently Located in the South Bay
Our office is centrally located in the South Bay, less than 30 minutes drive for most Manhattan Beach residents. Many families are pleasantly surprised to discover they don’t need to travel to the Westside, Century City, or downtown Los Angeles to receive sophisticated and experienced estate planning guidance.
