If you need a lawyer who will represent your family and financial objectives with diligence, expertise, and a personal touch, contact me at the Law Office of Alice J. MacAllister. I am a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law with 24 years of experience in the San Jose area, concentrating in the following areas:
Estate planning and Trusts
It is vitally important to ensure your personal and financial objectives are met through the use of wills, trusts, life insurance, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, trust funding, and other estate planning documents. I work closely with clients to make sure their estate is carefully organized to suit their many needs and provide for their loved ones. I listen carefully, getting to know my clients, and then give them the best alternatives. I use my expertise to help, not to take over.
Probate, Trust & Estate Administration
In representing fiduciaries and trustees, it is vital to always make sure they are fully protected. I find that one of the best ways to accomplish this is to keep to a very tight, organized schedule. Some claim that these matters often take years, but with my efficient system this is never the case. This area of my practice also encompasses work with spousal property petitions, will contests, estate asset transfers, equitable distribution, joint trusts, family limited partnerships, and estate tax return filings.
Elder Law and Conservatorships
I have a great interest in legal issues facing the aged and elderly and in making certain these important members of our families and communities are protected in the sunset of their lives. My personal mission in this regard extends to preparing free wills for low income seniors through Senior Adults Legal Assistance, serving as the court appointed attorney for proposed conservatees with dementia or who are objecting to the appointment of a conservator, and devoting part of my practice to representing clients regarding qualification for Medi-Cal and Medicaid issues, estate planning including special needs trusts, conservatorships, nursing home issues and assisted living issues. I also work with families with developmentally disabled children when they become adults to establish limited conservatorships for their disabled children.
Guardianships
Conservatorships are similar to guardianships in several respects, I limit my work in guardianships to cases involving appointments for guardianships of the estates of minors. I do not work with guardianships of the person as part of custody battles. However, if you need a Family Law attorney, I can refer you to many good ones in the vicinity of San Jose, California.
A Probate Administration Lawyer, in my belief, should also educate the general public about this very important and often misunderstand area of the law. To learn more about the specifics of probate, in which a court is involved in administering an estate, be sure to visit my What You Need To Know About Probate page.
Because my practice concentrates on helping people and attending to each client’s personal needs in each particular case, I find it difficult to quote exact fees in advance of the first meeting. Establishing a new estate plan is generally charged as a set fee that is generally determined at the end of the initial conference once the scope of services has been determined. Probate fees are set by statute in California for the ordinary services of the probate based on the value of the estate accounted for. If there are additional services required for extraordinary services (such as litigation, tax work, sales of real property, etc.), the fees are charged on a reasonable fee basis after approval by the probate court. Most other services are provided on a reasonable fee basis. While estimates are provided, they are just estimates since the services are tailored to each specific situation. If you live in the San Jose California area, including Cupertino, CA, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale and Los Gatos, contact me today.
Alice J. MacAllister, Attorney at Law
Third Floor
1700 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
Phone: (408) 293-9223
Fax: (408) 971-4320
