Estate Planning & Probate Attorney in Fullerton, California

Law Office of Barbara J. Dibble

1235 N Harbor Blvd.
Suite 200
Fullerton, California 92832
USA

(714) 871-1132 or (866) 968-3546

(714) 871-5620

www.bdibblelaw.com

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Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

The Law Office of Barbara J. Dibble is an experienced, dedicated law firm located in Fullerton, California. At my firm, I help clients throughout Fullerton and Orange County use estate planning to dictate what should happen when they are not around to take care of things on their own.

Many people are uncomfortable talking about what will happen after they die. Although these can be difficult conversations to have, they are crucial. Estate planning allows you to determine what will happen with your assets after you pass away, and how your affairs should be handled if your health declines and you are unable to make decisions on your own.

When clients contact me, I take the time to build solid and lasting relationships. By understanding your goals and your big picture, I can tailor my services to best match your needs. Most people who contact me have a reason for wanting to plan how their assets will be distributed. I learn about the particulars of each person's situation, and I make sure you take care of yourself in the process.

During our meetings, I will give you the information you need to make informed choices about your situation. I will make suggestions and draft documents for you to look at. If you have any questions or changes, we can schedule additional time to meet to finalize your documents. I notarize the documents, set up the proper funding for trusts, record the deeds for any property and discuss next steps for your assets.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Advance Health Care Directives and Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances; Trust Administration; Ancillary Probate Proceedings; Beneficiary Representation.

Practice Areas Description

The Law Office of Barbara J. Dibble helps clients throughout Fullerton and Orange County with the following areas of practice:

- Estate Planning

Some people think that only millionaires or old people need wills, trusts or other estate planning tools. That is incorrect. Everyone can benefit from good estate planning. Estate planning allows you to control what will happen with your assets after you die, and it allows you to choose how your health care and finances should be handled if you are unable to make your decisions.

- Wills

After you die, your estate planning documents are the only thing that can communicate your wishes to your family and loved ones. A will alone is never enough. I help clients write wills, trusts, and estate planning documents that make clear how they would like their assets divided and whom they would like named as beneficiaries. You will also use a will to name guardians for your children.

- Trusts

I help clients prepare trusts to explain how they would like their money divided and to leave instructions for its distribution. We look at the big picture, using trusts to proactively address estate taxes down the road, to avoid the expense of probate, and to control and manage money left to older children or for the care of loved ones or the care of minor children after you are gone.

- Probate

Generally, probate is something you want to avoid, and proper estate planning can accomplish that. If a loved one dies without a trust or a will or with only a will, you can be faced with a probate, and you need an experienced attorney to guide you through the process. I have experience handling complex probate proceedings.

- Trust Administration

Administration of someone's trust when they die requires a trustee to take certain legal actions within legal deadlines. I work with trustees to help them carry out their duties and avoid liability. I also work closely with clients who are beneficiaries of trusts. If you are a trustee of a loved one's trust, there are specific duties you must complete. Often, it is beneficial to talk to an attorney to help complete everything properly. An experienced lawyer can help you administer the trust correctly, so you are not held responsible for liabilities.

- Advance Health Care Directives and Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances

If you become incapacitated or unable to make decisions for yourself, it is important to have one or more people in place who can handle your finances and make health care decisions for you when you are not able to do so. I help clients think about what is important to them and about the people to whom they wish to give the authority to make these decisions.

- Business Formations

When you are starting a business, building a strong legal foundation at the beginning can help protect you from unnecessary and costly litigation down the road. Whether you need help determining the proper business formation or need legal counsel for ongoing business operations, an experienced attorney can be a crucial asset. I work with business owners to determine the best entity for their business formation. I also help clients with ongoing business operations and business succession planning.

- Beneficiary Representation

After the death of a loved one, if there is no will or if there is only a will, the estate will enter probate. In the event that your loved one died without a will, there are laws that specifically apply to determine beneficiaries and distribution. Assuming the existence of only a will and no executor is named, an executor can be appointed. The executor will then settle any relevant debts of the estate and distribute any remaining assets and property according to the instructions of an existing will, including distribution of assets into a trust to be managed by a trustee.

- Estate Tax Planning

Recent and potentially ongoing changes to federal estate tax law make it difficult to know whether you need to be concerned about estate tax. Regardless, consideration of taxation should be an important aspect of estate planning in the event that you meet the income threshold for taxation by the time of your death or that the applicable laws have changed. At my firm – the Law Office of Barbara J. Dibble – I work with clients to create estate plans that are tailored to meet their changing needs.