1️⃣ Revocable Living Trusts

A Revocable Living Trust is the centerpiece of most modern estate plans.

What It Is

A legal arrangement where:

• You (the “Trustor” or “Settlor”) transfer assets into a trust,

• You typically serve as your own Trustee while you are alive and well,

• You name Successor Trustees to manage the trust if you become incapacitated or pass away,

• You specify who receives what, when, and under what conditions.

Because the trust is revocable, you can:

• Change your beneficiaries,

• Replace your trustee,

• Add or remove assets,

• Completely amend or revoke the trust during your lifetime (as long as you have capacity).

Why It Matters

A well-drafted Living Trust:

• Avoids probate (saving time, legal fees, and keeping your affairs private),

• Provides continuity if you become incapacitated—your Successor Trustee can manage everything without going to court,

• Allows complex distribution plans, such as:

  • Holding funds in trust for minor children until certain ages,

  • Staggered distributions (e.g., 1/3 at 25, 1/3 at 30, 1/3 at 35),

  • Incentive provisions (education, sobriety, employment),

• Protects vulnerable beneficiaries from:

  • Creditors,

  • Lawsuits,

  • Divorce or poor financial decisions.

What We Do

At Unified Attorney Group, we:

• Analyze your entire financial picture (real estate, bank accounts, investments, business interests, life insurance, retirement),

• Draft a customized trust, not a generic template,

• Coordinate “trust funding”:

  • Deed real estate into the trust,

  • Align beneficiary designations with your plan,

  • Provide clear written instructions to move accounts into the trust,

• Clarify successor trustee roles and powers so there is no confusion in a crisis.

2️⃣ Last Will & Testament (Including Pour-Over Wills)

Even with a trust, you still need a Will.

What It Is

A Last Will and Testament is the document that:

• Names the Executor who will handle your estate,

• Identifies who should receive any assets that did not make it into your trust,

• Names Guardians for your minor children,

• Expresses certain personal wishes (funeral, burial, specific items, etc.).

Most clients with a trust use a “Pour-Over Will”, which says:

Any assets still in my name at death should be “poured over” into my Living Trust and distributed according to its terms.

Why It Matters

• Ensures minor children have court-appointed guardians you chose—not the judge,

• Catches any assets that you forgot to transfer into your trust,

• Provides legal backup if someone contests your plan or if something goes wrong with titling.

What We Do

We:

• Draft a Will that aligns perfectly with your Trust,

• Carefully outline guardian nominations and alternatives (first choice, second choice, etc.),

• Address personal items (jewelry, heirlooms, sentimental property) in a way that reduces conflict between family members.

3️⃣ Durable Financial Power of Attorney (POA)

A Durable Power of Attorney is critical for incapacity planning.

What It Is

A legal document where you appoint an Agent (Attorney-in-Fact) to manage your financial affairs if you:

• Become incapacitated,

• Are out of the country,

• Are simply unable to manage day-to-day financial matters.

“Durable” means it remains valid even if you lose mental capacity.

Why It Matters

Without a properly drafted POA:

• Your family may need to go to court and ask for a conservatorship to manage your finances—this is expensive, slow, and intrusive.

• Bills, mortgages, and taxes may go unpaid.

• No one may have authority to deal with banks, retirement accounts, or government agencies on your behalf.

With a clear POA, your chosen Agent can:

• Access and manage bank and investment accounts,

• Pay bills, taxes, and insurance,

• Handle property management and business decisions,

• Deal with government benefits (Social Security, etc.).

What We Do

We:

• Help you choose the right person (and backups) as your Agent,

• Clearly define the scope of powers (broad vs limited),

• Include protective provisions to prevent abuse (reporting requirements, limitations, co-agents, etc.),

• Coordinate the POA with your Trust so powers work together, not against each other.

4️⃣ Advance Health Care Directive & Medical Powers

Your medical decisions should never be a guess.

What It Is

An Advance Health Care Directive (sometimes combined with a Health Care Power of Attorney) lets you:

• Appoint a Health Care Agent to make medical decisions if you cannot communicate,

• Express your wishes regarding:

  • Life support and resuscitation,

  • Artificial nutrition/hydration,

  • Pain management,

  • End-of-life care,

• Specify preferences for:

  • Organ donation,

  • Burial or cremation,

  • Religious or cultural practices.

We typically pair that with HIPAA Authorizations, allowing your loved ones and decision-makers to access your medical information.

Why It Matters

• Prevents family conflict at the hospital (everyone arguing about what you “would have wanted”),

• Gives clear legal authority to one or more people you trust to talk with doctors, access records, and make decisions,

• Protects your dignity and avoids unnecessary suffering or unwanted procedures.

What We Do

We:

• Walk you through the real-life scenarios (not just checkboxes),

• Help you choose the right Agent (and backups),

• Draft clear, practical language that doctors and hospitals can easily follow,

• Ensure your medical documents are consistent with your values, religion, and family dynamics.

5️⃣ HIPAA Authorization

What It Is

A HIPAA Authorization allows designated individuals (often your spouse, children, or trusted friend) to:

• Access your medical records,

• Talk to your doctors,

• Receive updates about your condition.

Why It Matters

Even if someone is your spouse or child, privacy rules can prevent medical staff from sharing information without written authorization.
This document removes that barrier.

What We Do

We:

• Draft a tailored HIPAA Authorization listing the people you want to have access,

• Coordinate it with your Health Care Directive and Trust,

• Provide copies and guidance on where to store and when to present the document.

6️⃣ Asset Protection & Tax-Smart Structuring

Estate planning is also about lawsuits, creditors, and taxes.

What It Is

This part of planning focuses on:

• How your assets are titled (individual, joint, trust, LLC, corporation),

• How to shield or separate riskier assets (rental properties, businesses, professional practices),

• How to preserve tax benefits such as:

  • Step-up in basis at death,

  • Proper use of exemptions,

  • Coordinating beneficiary designations with tax rules.

Why It Matters

• Protects you and your family from creditors and lawsuits,

• Helps avoid unnecessary capital gains for your heirs,

• Prevents costly mistakes like:

  • Incorrectly naming beneficiaries on retirement accounts,

  • Titling property in a way that creates avoidable taxes,

  • Leaving assets in a form that disqualifies a family member from government benefits.

What We Do

We:

• Review your real estate, business entities, retirement accounts, life insurance, and investments,

• Suggest and coordinate structures such as:

  • Holding rentals in LLCs,

  • Aligning community vs separate property,

  • Using the Trust in a tax-efficient way,

• Work with your CPA or financial advisor (if you have one) to ensure legal and tax strategies are consistent.

7️⃣ Specialized & Advanced Planning

Some families and situations require additional tools beyond the basics.

Blended Families

For second marriages or step-children, we:

• Ensure a surviving spouse is provided for, while protecting children from a prior relationship,

• Draft trusts that prevent assets from being diverted away from your bloodline.

Planning for Minor Children

We:

• Design Continuing Trusts so children do not receive large sums at 18,

• Appoint Guardians and Trustees (which can be different people),

• Include clear instructions for education, health, housing, and support.

Special Needs Planning

If you have a child or loved one with a disability, we:

• Use Special Needs Trusts to:

  • Preserve eligibility for government benefits (SSI, Medi-Cal, etc.),

  • Provide extra quality-of-life support without disqualifying them,

• Appoint trustees who understand the obligations and restrictions.

Pet Trusts

For clients who consider pets part of the family, we:

• Set aside funds,

• Appoint a caretaker,

• Provide instructions for long-term pet care.

Business & Professional Practice Succession

If you own a business or professional practice, we:

• Coordinate your operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, and trust,

• Plan how ownership transitions at death or incapacity,

• Address voting control, valuation, and management succession.

Charitable & Legacy Planning

We:

• Include charitable bequests in your trust or will,

• Help you structure gifts to churches, nonprofits, or charities you care about,

• Discuss options for creating a more formal charitable legacy (scholarships, donor-advised funds, etc.).

8️⃣ Multinational / Dual-Country Estate Planning

For clients with assets or family overseas (or dual citizenship), planning is more complex.

We:

• Analyze how foreign property and inheritance rules may interact with your U.S. plan,

• Coordinate with foreign counsel if needed,

• Structure your U.S. trust and will to avoid conflicts and minimize complications for your family.

9️⃣ Trust Funding & Ongoing Review

Even the best documents fail if they are not implemented.

Trust Funding

We:

• Prepare deeds to transfer real property into the trust,

• Provide guidance and letters for banks and financial institutions,

• Align beneficiary designations on life insurance and retirement (where appropriate),

• Create “Assignment of Personal Property” for household goods and other assets.

Ongoing Review

Life changes. So should your plan.
We encourage review when:

• You marry, divorce, or separate,

• You have a new child or grandchild,

• You buy or sell property or a business,

• A trustee, executor, or key beneficiary dies or becomes disabled.

We are available to:

• Update your trust and will,

• Change your trustees or agents,

• Adjust for new tax laws and family circumstances.

How We Work With You

1. Initial Consultation – We learn your goals, concerns, and family dynamics.

2. Information & Asset Review – You provide basic information; we analyze risk, taxes, and structure.

3. Customized Drafting – We prepare your full set of documents, tailored to your situation.

4. Detailed Review Meeting – We explain everything in plain language so you fully understand your plan.

5. Signing & Notarization – We supervise proper execution to ensure validity.

6. Funding & Implementation – We guide you in moving assets into the correct structures.

7. Ongoing Support – You can return to update or adjust as your life evolves.