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Is there such an elder care attorney who does this for a senior rate in Marin or Sonoma Counties?

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Js, we not in the too distant past, interviewed elder law/estate planning Attorneys. Some wanted 12k to restate our Trust, what???? This price was theft, so we kept looking, and found one for 10% of that fee.

What we did was: we never interviewed an attorney that wanted any money for the initial interview, we did make it clear it was an interview, and we asked lots of questions about things we already knew. We didn't want to pay extra for the attorney to get educated to do our work. They were advertising as elder law attorneys, that was a joke for more than a couple of them. Be very careful, it's the newest racket out there because it is big money because of the aging population.

We found that a CELA, certified elder law attorney, was the best option. He asked us questions about what currently existed in the Trust and how things were titled, etc. Others were charging to make all the changes that were not needed, it was an established trust and needed no title or deed, no account renaming changes but, there were Attorneys that were gonna get paid for the work because it's on their check list. Unethical is what springs to my mind.

So, you knowing what should be done, interviewing for the best fit and doing all the name transfers yourself are how you get legal work done as cost effectively as possible.

Realize that this isn't gonna be "cheap" but, you can trim the fat by being proactive with a list of items that need addressed and doing, as much as possible, doing the leg work needed yourself, like makingsure all assets are named properlyfor ownership, now and after death, if doing payableon death type transfers.

I recommend www.nelf.org to find a CELA level attorney, another poster let me know that she found more choices at NAELA.org, so you have a couple of resources to start the process of finding an attorney.

Best of luck finding a good fit.
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The old adage...You get what you pay for...is so very true in this case.
You are not just paying for papers to be drawn up. You are paying for the knowledge that the attorney has when it comes to some of the nuances that relate to elders and the legalities that are associated with it.
If you were talking about a "simple" Will, sure you can get forms on line but for an "Estate Plan" and a Will you need to rely on the expertise of someone that knows what they are doing.
This may very well be a 1 time expense if all you need are the documents. BUT if something happens later you will have someone that you can go to that you have had a "working relationship".
this is not a time to cut corners.
Now...all that said.
There are some firms that will do work for Seniors at a reduced rate or even "low income" but if you are talking "Estate Planning" I doubt that that will fall into the "low income" arena.
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Do it correctly, and spend the mobey for a good plan. If done wrong, then that could be costly in itself
A good plan can be several pages long. Since I have been executor and POA x3. I can tell you the bad plan cost the estate over 12 K to fix plus many hours of my time, mostly voluntary
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Legalzoom.com or Rocketlawyer.com, or do a browser search for similar online services. If the estate is not very large or complicated, and there aren't any "black sheep" relatives who may pop out and contest it, then an online legal service may be all you need.
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Frebrowser May 11, 2025
I agree. Even looking at some Nolo Press books through the library can be a good start.

There is an online service at freewill.com, which I found out about through the San Francisco Libraries; it also offers a basic California living trust and advanced healthcare directive as well as charitable giving options.

Working on a first draft on your own can be a good way to be well prepared if you decide your situation is not simple and you want a lawyer to prepare your documents.

Since were on this forum, I’ll mention that leaving funds to someone on Medicaid or other means tested programs means you will want good advice tailored to your heir’s situation.

Also, if you are dealing with California real estate with Prop 13 protection, it’s more problematic now.
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