Goldfarb & Luu

The experience I had with Goldfarb and Luu was way better than my expectations. Never having to deal with probate before with all the hoops that we had to jump through and all the other ends and outs of this process was handled very efficiently and professionally and even though it took quite a while, it was not their fault it was our Local government as usual, but I’m very happy with the outcome and would highly recommend them. Thank you to the whole team.

Greatly Disappointed! After phone consultation w Atty Rebecca, who assured me her firm would be available to administer my trust, as they are elder care trust will specialist. She told me she’d contact me either the next day or two where to send her my documents for review. I was hopeful I secured a reliable, responsible, professional. After two days, no contact. One week later no contact or follow up by anyone from her office. I questioned my judgment selecting to engage w this law firm, then too or is the internet not working, or is it out right unreliable, attorney practice? After reading the reviews I recognize this law firm is all hype. Do not trust attorneys who spend time on consult hooking you in then fail follow through.. Run the other way!!

Back in August, I called Goldfarb & Luu to update my revocable trust. I last updated in 2001. The quote was $1050.00 depending on how much time is spent reviewing it. If a paralegal reviews it. It is $295.00 per hour. If an attorney needs to review it, it is $525.00 per hour. Annette , Rebecca’s administrative assistant and I agreed on a schedule by phone with a paralegal and Rebecca. Then shortly after, I received an email but the schedule to talk to Michelle/paralegal and Rebecca had completely changed without our prior agreement .She agreed to revert Michelle’s back to the original but was quite adamant not changing Rebecca’s schedule as Rebecca’s schedule was quite full but her schedule wasn’t convenient for me. Nevertheless I consented because I liked to get it moving . After talking Michelle I wasn’t happy about it . Michelle and I spent 15 minutes , verifying the account numbers of each of my asset account. I felt what she did as a paralegal wasn’t warranted as it was quite clerical and didn’t require a paralegal to ask me if my account numbers as stated were corrected. That phone call and reviewing the existing estate plan costed $206.50 ( 0.7 hours or 42 minutes . My phone record indicates 15 minutes so she used 27 minutes to review my old trust ). Rebecca reviewed my trust and wrote the following “ Your trust is only 16 pages long and is missing critical sections so unfortunately, we cannot amend it and need to restate it. The most cost efficient option moving forward will be our Comprehensive Estate Planning where you will get all new documents - $5900 “ , to which I replied what “ My trust is a folder that is 3 inches thick. I don’t know what you meant by only 16 pages long. As for $5900.00. According to Google A detail estate planning costs $900 to $5950. Mine is simple. … I have no houses, no exotic cars, no sail boats, nothing physical that I want to give away. I don’t know why it will cost me $5900.00. “. Rebecca didn’t respond to my question . She just replied I need to redo my 5 health directive. I called 2 attorneys from a list suggested by Fidelity. One quoted $3500 to $5000.00 and another quoted $4000 to $6000 . Both said the price depends on complexity. If I have multiple properties, own business, limited partnership etc, then it will be at the higher end of the range. She said in my case, it would be more toward the lower end of the range or around $3000 , less than half of what G & L wanted . At that point, I felt that Rebecca’s price is way of line . I got the impression that $1050 is a done deal, a bit more or a bit less. I agreed to move forward after the initial 30 minutes free consultation. Her suggestion of “Comprehensive Estate Planning “ wasn’t warranted because mine is simple. I called Rebecca I am cancelling the next appointment, reminding myself that her rate of $525.00 per hour . I told her I will pick up my trust folder. When I showed up her staff returned my folder , plus a check for $656.50. I paid $1050.00 so her company spent $393.50. The invoice itemized each email and time spent reviewing the old trust. I counted 9 email responses costing $187.00 or $21.00 per email response on the average . So after spending $393.50, I accomplished absolutely nothing. By chance I found a company called The Document People near Topanga Canyon and Ventura Blvd on Google. I called them. Andrea answered. I also watched their video in preparation for that. The quote was $799 for single. $899 for couple. All I have to do is to setup an appointment, come in and fill out some forms ( to start from scratch ), return to sign some forms . Regardless of complexity, it takes about 1 week. Appointments were readily available. Email and phone responses incur no charges ( as opposed to to G & L where I can be charged for that ) I just got my trust updated for $399.00 last Tuesday. I lost $393.50 . but I saved $5500.00

Positioned themselves as a full-service practice at a critical time when I was moving my mom from out of state to be better able to take care of her. Every one of their "specialists" knew nothing about their supposed subject area, except to refer me to other for pay professionals outside the practice. Then, when I would ask the questions the practice couldn't answer, they would tell me that that was something that the practice should have been able to answer for me. Literally got more value out of the utterly free services from the retirement community center around the corner from my apartment. Also blew through $600.00 of the $1,000 retainer and literally produced nothing of any substance. And had the gall to tell me that the complete, straightforward, out of state estate documents I had and just needed to be brought into compliance with California law would have to be completely redone from scratch because of one missing addendum of absolutely no consequence. Do not recommend.

Rebecca was incredibly knowledgeable, professional, responsive and a pleasure to work with. She talked us thru an incredibly emotional and complicated family situation, and was a great help and counsel. I recommend Goldfarb & Luu highly to anyone in need of elder estate planning.