California Estate and Elder Law

Nearby Lawyers California San Diego County San Diego Scripps Ranch Willow Creek Road

9820 Willow Creek Rd Ste 460, San Diego, CA 92131, USA
+1 619-282-1194
webSite

Open Hours:

Monday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday, Closed
Sunday, Closed

California Estate and Elder Law Introduce

Welcome to the Nearby Lawyers platform, your trusted resource for connecting with legal professionals in your local area. We are pleased to introduce California Estate and Elder Law, a San Diego-based law firm located at 9820 Willow Creek Rd Ste 460, San Diego, CA 92131, USA. You can contact their office directly at (619) 282-1194 or via their mobile number +1 619-282-1194. Based on the positive feedback from real clients, California Estate and Elder Law appears to be a competent and caring firm specializing in estate planning, elder law, and related matters, with a strong emphasis on client support and understanding.

Environment and Location:

The address provided, 9820 Willow Creek Rd Ste 460, places California Estate and Elder Law in the Scripps Ranch area of San Diego. This area is known for its blend of residential and business communities, offering a professional yet accessible environment for clients. Suite 460 within a building suggests a dedicated office space designed to provide a comfortable and private setting for client consultations and legal work. The positive review mentioning a welcoming and comfortable reception area indicates that the firm prioritizes creating a positive first impression and ensuring clients feel at ease upon arrival. This suggests an environment that is both professional and client-focused.

Services Offered:

Based on the client reviews, California Estate and Elder Law specializes in several key areas:

Estate Planning: This likely includes the creation of essential legal documents such as wills, trusts (including living trusts, special needs trusts), powers of attorney (both financial and healthcare), and advance healthcare directives. The firm assists individuals and families in planning for the management and distribution of their assets, as well as healthcare decisions.
Elder Law: This encompasses a wide range of legal issues affecting older adults, including long-term care planning, MediCal planning, conservatorships, and protection against elder abuse. The review specifically mentions assistance in navigating the complexities of MediCal, which is a critical aspect of elder law for many families.
Probate and Trust Administration: When an individual passes away, their estate often needs to go through probate (if there is no trust or if assets were not properly transferred into a trust) or the trust needs to be administered. California Estate and Elder Law appears to provide assistance in these processes, ensuring the smooth transfer of assets to beneficiaries.
Handling Small Estates: The firm is noted for its ability to assist with the administration of smaller estates, providing guidance and support even in less complex situations.
Navigating MediCal: A significant strength appears to be their expertise in dealing with the complexities of MediCal, particularly in situations involving dementia and long-term care needs. This can be a challenging area, and having competent legal guidance is invaluable.

The reviews highlight the firm's ability to make complex legal landscapes understandable for clients, particularly in sensitive situations like dealing with parents diagnosed with dementia. This suggests a commitment to clear communication and patient guidance.

Features and Strengths:

Several key features and strengths are evident from the client testimonials:

Competence: Clients describe the firm as "competent," indicating a high level of legal knowledge and skill in their areas of practice.
Caring Approach: The word "caring" is used to describe the firm, suggesting a compassionate and empathetic approach to client needs, especially in emotionally challenging situations like estate planning and elder care.
Teamwork: Clients specifically mention the "great team" working with Scott Stewart, highlighting a collaborative and supportive environment within the firm. The seamless assistance provided by other team members like Alexis and Shady when the lead attorney is unavailable underscores their effective teamwork.
Professionalism: The firm is consistently described as "very professional," indicating high standards of conduct, ethics, and service.
Willingness to Assist: Clients appreciate the team's readiness to help and address their concerns, contributing to a positive client experience.
Clear Communication: The ability to make complex legal matters understandable is a significant strength, ensuring clients feel informed and empowered throughout the process.
Smooth Processes: Repeat clients note that their experiences with the firm have been smooth and efficient, indicating well-organized and effective legal services.
Welcoming Environment: The positive feedback about the receptionist making clients feel welcomed and comfortable suggests a client-centric approach from the initial point of contact.

Promotional Information and Value Proposition:

Based on the overwhelmingly positive client feedback, California Estate and Elder Law can effectively promote themselves to local users by emphasizing:

Their competent and caring legal assistance in estate planning and elder law.
Their expertise in navigating the complexities of MediCal, particularly for families dealing with dementia and long-term care.
Their strong team approach, ensuring clients always have support and access to assistance.
Their commitment to professionalism, clear communication, and making complex legal matters understandable.
Their welcoming and comfortable office environment, designed to put clients at ease.
Their track record of providing smooth and efficient legal services, as attested by repeat clients.

For individuals and families in the San Diego area seeking reliable and compassionate legal guidance in estate planning, elder law, probate, trust administration, and navigating MediCal, particularly when dealing with sensitive situations like dementia, California Estate and Elder Law appears to be an excellent choice. The consistent positive feedback regarding their competence, caring approach, and effective teamwork suggests a firm dedicated to providing high-quality legal services with a focus on client support and understanding.

If you are looking for a law firm that will not only provide competent legal advice but also offer a supportive and understanding environment, California Estate and Elder Law, located in Scripps Ranch, encourages you to reach out. Contact them at (619) 282-1194 or +1 619-282-1194 to discuss your specific needs and experience the professional and caring service that their clients have consistently praised. Their expertise in estate planning and elder law, coupled with their commitment to clear communication and client support, makes them a valuable resource in the San Diego legal community.

Location

Customer Reviews

(12 reviews)

Steve D

May 14, 2019

Competent. Caring. I sought out and found an attorney who could assist me in handling my parents very small estate, and through the mire of MediCal. My situation was that both parents were diagnosed with dementia at almost the same time, making the legal landscape treacherous. Scott Stewart, Brooke J and the team made things understandable and at a pace I could maintain. I highly recommend this office and team of attorneys.

Terri Lozano

Oct 19, 2017

EVERYONE at the law firm are very professional and always willing to assist. Scott Stewart has a GREAT team working WITH him. If he isn't available because of court duties Alexis is always there to help as well as her assistant Shady. The receptionist made us feel very welcomed and comfortable as soon as we walked in the office. We have used this law firm twice and both times everything went very smoothly. GREAT JOB EVERYONE & THANK YOU !! You are all greatly appreciated !

Peter Mikkelson

Apr 19, 2019

We are very pleased with our experience at California Estate and Elder Law. We went to a seminar which blew us away with the knowledge of Scott Stewart on VA and Elder law, so we signed up for a 1 1/2 hour consultation to see if we should sign up with them for estate planning. We did hire them to develop our plan which is done in a timely manner and is very thorough. Are we pleased? You can bank on it!

Mrs R

May 27, 2019

We had a free consultation. The office is very nice. The attorney we met with was super friendly and appeared knowledgeable. He wasn't able to provide us any information we didn't already know and wasn't able to help us, but some situations are what they are. My only issue is their fees seem excessive for the services that were related to our issue of getting help to care for my father who has Alzheimer's and who's income falls above poverty but below being able to hire enough help. I feel that their fees are far too high for a group of vulnerable people (those with special needs, Alzheimer's, etc.) unless the majority of their clientele are pretty well to do, in which case they shouldn't be in true need of financial assistance to care for a loved one that without your care would be institutionally deemed.

Sarah Lifton

Oct 10, 2019

I first contacted Scott Stewart of California Estate and Elder Law when my best friend, for whom I had POA, was dying and another friend had advised me to find an attorney specializing in elder law. Scott seemed really knowledgeable, and although my friend died before any action could be taken, when it came time to find an attorney to help with my friend's very small but somewhat messy estate, I called Scott. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. Scott doesn't handle the estate administration part of the practice. That goes to Brooke Jensen, who is perhaps the most unpleasant person it's ever been my misfortune to do business with. Using my personal contacts, I had been having trouble finding an attorney who could handle probate, however, so I decided to sign with them, even though I didn't like Brooke from the start. (Scott, by contrast, is very personable.) Knowing what I do now, I would never have retained them to handle my friend's estate. First, they told me they charge a flat fee for probate--$10K--and told me as executor I'd also get $10K. I've since learned from four other estate attorneys that both are outrageous for an estate so small that it's less than half of the threshold for full probate in California. (Meaning no court oversight. One well-regarded attorney told me she didn't think I even needed an attorney and would coach me for a flat fee of $2500.) I didn't know, though, so fearful of racking up more than that from an attorney who would charge hourly, I signed. (And boy, is Brooke good at stirring up fear and at shooting you down no matter what progress you make on the estate.) Anyway, the firm's policy is to demand $5K of the fee up front, which I paid out of my own pocket, as I had no access yet to the funds from the estate. (The attorney I ultimately hired to replace these two said that should have been an alarm that something was wrong.) In all I had three contacts with Brooke, each as unpleasant as the others, so I decided I couldn't work with her and needed to terminate the agreement. Mind you, we hadn't even had our first actual meeting about the estate and how to move forward, so when Scott finally got back to me (two e-mails later), and he said their time be converted into an hourly bill before I got any refund, I said okay. I mean, who could have imagined that out of $5K, (which BTW, is what other, attorneys have told me is likely the top end of what their billing would be for the ENTIRE case), they kept $3,367.50 and refunded me a paltry $1,362.50. I was billed at ATTORNEY RATES for scanning and filing. They don't seem to have an admin or paralegal to do things like that (and no receptionist to answer the phone), but apparently think it's okay to bill me $375 an hour for clerical tasks. (Among other inflated charges, like billing for things she admitted she hadn't done the last time I saw her--billing for the time that very day.) I shared my experience with my financial advisor, whose firm and provided the initial recommendation, and they asked me not to do anything while they tried to get me a refund using their personal connection to Scott. They got nowhere--didn't even get a call back, though the person reached Brooke, who claimed the bill was high because the estate was so complicated. Maybe that would have made sense if they'd actually DONE anything, but they hadn't. I finally sent Scott an e-mail detailing my displeasure and why, and predictably, I never heard back. (Did I mention they're both dreadful about returning calls, answering e-mails etc.?) Anyway, I finally deposited the paltry refund check, and lo and behold--it was returned for insufficient funds. I mean, after using every underhanded trick in the book to inflate the bill against my initial payment, they BOUNCED the refund check?! Outcome of that still pending. But this should be a warning to run, don't walk, away from this firm and find an ethical firm. This one ain't it. I'm currently considering a bar complaint.