Palo Alto Estate Planning Attorney
At Evans & Davis, we provide estate planning and business law services with heart, strategy, and excellence. With flat fees, deep client relationships, and a commitment to compassion and care, we make planning your future personal, approachable, and effective.
What Sets the Estate Planning Attorneys at Evans & Davis Apart From Others?
Estate planning isn’t a one-time document; it’s a relationship. We treat it that way from day one. Most attorneys draft a will or trust, hand it to you, and move on. Six months later, your situation changes, your business grows, you get married, you have kids, laws change, and you’re stuck with an outdated plan that doesn’t reflect your actual life.
At Evans & Davis, we build plans that evolve with you. We focus on three things:
- Real understanding of your situation. We dig into what actually matters to you: your family dynamics, your values, your concerns. Not a checklist, but genuine understanding.
- Comprehensive services under one roof. Estate planning, business law, probate, trust administration – we handle the full lifecycle.
- Ongoing access and updates. Your life changes. Your plan should too. We’re here to adjust it as needed, so you’re never operating under an outdated strategy.
We also operate nationally and are licensed in 47 states, so whether your assets are in California, across the country, or your family is scattered, we can handle it all. You get local attention with national capacity.
Privacy, Control, and the California Probate Alternative
Probate in Palo Alto and the state of California as a whole is notoriously slow, expensive, and transparent. Your family’s finances become part of the public record.
Privacy matters. Whether you have significant assets, a complex family situation, or simply value your family’s financial confidentiality, a public probate exposes it all. Your wealth, family structure, and asset details become public record, which is accessible to creditors, distant relatives, and the general public.
A trust-based plan keeps everything private and gives you control beyond your lifetime:
- No public disclosure. Trust documents and administration stay confidential. Your beneficiaries’ names, asset amounts, and family details remain private
- Maintain control over asset distribution timing. You decide when beneficiaries receive assets, not a judge, and not all at once. You can structure distributions based on age, achievement, or financial need
- Protect assets from creditors and lawsuits. Beneficiaries can receive income from a trust while assets remain protected from divorces, lawsuits, and financial mistakes
- Minimize the California probate timeline. While trusts avoid probate entirely, California statutory procedures can still slow trust administration. We structure your plan to minimize delays
For example, California probate on a $10 million estate averages 4-7% of the estate value — that’s $400,000 to $700,000 in fees and costs, plus 12-18 months of delays. A trust-based plan with proper funding costs significantly less upfront and saves your family enormous amounts on the backend.
This is especially important if your situation is complex, such as multiple business interests, out-of-state property, a blended family, or significant charitable intent. A public probate process would expose all of
Getting Started With Your Estate Plan
Estate planning doesn’t require you to have everything figured out before you meet with an attorney. You simply need to schedule a meeting, and we will get to know your personal situation.
From there, we guide you through the rest:
- We explain your options. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various tools available, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, and which combination is appropriate for your specific circumstances
- We answer your questions. We provide clear, thorough explanations of all aspects of your plan and ensure you understand the implications of each decision before moving forward
- We draft your documents. We create a customized estate plan tailored to your specific situation and objectives, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all template
- We ensure implementation. We guide you through the necessary steps to properly execute your plan, including asset retitling, beneficiary updates, and trust funding, to ensure your plan functions as intended
Whether you’re just starting to think about a plan or ready to update an existing one, call us at (415) 244-2398 or fill out our form to get the process started.
Palo Alto Office Details
Address: 2100 Geng Rd Suit 210, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone: (415) 244-2398
Services We Offer
We work closely with clients to identify and achieve their goals, from transferring family wealth to preserving family businesses, all while minimizing administrative costs and taxes.
We guide clients through all stages of their business growth, from start-up and early-stage businesses into middle market and, finally, into succession planning and exit strategies.
We assist families with administering trusts after the death of a loved one. Every trust administration is unique and we adapt our representation to the level of assistance needed.
Client Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
When Should You Start Estate Planning?
Plan while you’re healthy — not during the crisis. People say this all the time: the worst time to plan is when you need it.
How Do You Avoid Probate?
The only sure surefire way to avoid probate is to have a trust in place – a simple will won’t be able to accomplish this.
Should You DIY Estate Plan Online?
Meet Our Palo Alto Estate Planning Team
Serving clients in Palo Alto, CA and surrounding areas, you’ll work closely with our dedicated team of experienced estate planning professionals. Some of those team members could include:
