I just completed my estate planning and trust with Christopher Shumate. My experience was overwhelmingly positive. The staff was very professional and kind. Christopher and staff made this process much less intimidating than I expected. I feel empowered and know my children will be protected. I highly recommend these attorneys and their wonderful staff! read more

I recently worked with Kathleen to set up my trust and couldn't be more pleased. They were incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and took the time to explain everything clearly. Always responsive and communicative, they made what could have been an overwhelming process completely stress-free. Highly recommend! read more

I was referred to Kathleen Albrektson by my sister in law and I can say, something that was laying heavy on my mind for some time, has finally been completed! Her and her staff made the process easy and the entire staff is very professional! If your having any thoughts of doing your Trust.... DO IT! Ask for Kathleen and let her I sent you! Thank you for all your help! read more

Kathleen Albertsons and staff are the best! We needed our 20 year old Living Trust updated. Kathleen is very professional and kind. Everything was finished in a timely manner. We are so happy we chose Albrekston & Shumate! Sincerely, Jim and Wanda McGinty read more

We recently worked with Kathleen Albrektson to create a family trust. What we thought might be an overwhelming process turned out to be nothing of the kind. The one on one meetings were full of information and all of questions and concerns were addressed. The staff is very efficient and at document signing everything was orderly and explained to us as we moved through each set of forms. I personally felt totally confident and relieved that we chose the right person to handle our affairs. Highly recommend Kathleen and her team. read more

Christopher Shumate helped make a very difficult time much easier. He was compassionate, knowledgeable, and truly caring throughout the entire process. His staff was equally kind and pleasant. I'm so grateful for their support, definitely the right choice. read more

Ms. Albrektseliminated all the anxiety associated with this process, she and her staff were very professional and compassionate throughout the process, they addressed all my questions and concerns in a language I understood . I would highly recommend her and her office as the best option when making these very important decisions. read more

We had our living trust done with these great people! They are extremely professional, but very personable. I recommend them highly!!!!

We went to Chris Shumate to do a Living Trust for my wife and I. Chris and his staff are knowledgeable, professional, thorough and pleasant to work with. We are very satisfied with the Living Trust completed. Chris and his staff did an excellent job while explaining each section of the Living Trust. We would highly recommend Albrektson & Shumate for completing any and all legal needs. Job well done! read more

Highly experienced attorneys and friendly, responsive staff. We had an issue that resulted in a bank refusing to release estate funds. Mr. Shumate immediately knew the solution, and his expertise saved us months of delay and potentially thousands of dollars in fees. I definitely recommend this firm. read more

My family highly recommended Ms. Albrektson to my husband and I so we could set up a living trust. We were a little nervous as it seemed like an overwhelming task, but Ms. Albrektson and her staff guided us step by step and made the process so easy. They explained everything in terms we understood to help us make the best decisions for our family. It was easier than we thought it would be and now we have peace of mind for the future. They are the best! read more

I highly recommend this law firm. The communication throughout the entire process was clear and timely, which helped alleviate any concerns or uncertainties we had. read more

As a financial advisor for 40 years, I have worked with a lot of estate attorneys. When I recently retired, I went to see Chris Shumate to update our living trust. Chris is an expert listener, personable, and very professional. My wife had a lot of concerns and Chris put her at ease. The entire process was smooth and exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend Chris, Kathleen, and the entire staff. read more

We were referred to Kathleen by our friends who had gotten their living trust and wills prepared by her. She did an amazing job creating ours and helping to guide us through the process. She and her office staff were always friendly and very professional. They explained every step and process in very understandable terms. We have referred some of our friends to her and would highly recommend her to anybody. read more

This is a very professional and knowledgeable law group. Mr. Shumate was able to get a Heggstad Petition approved for me in court in a probate action. His various staff members were also very professional and accomplished. I was very satisfied with the job they did for me and my family. read more

Waste of time, schedule appt. For consultation via zoom and the receptionist got everything wrong. In-person appt. Instead of zoom, wrong information about paperwork and I had to call to confirm appt. Very disappointed and a waste of time read more

attorney Shumate is very professional and has been the best help in assisting my mother with her trust and all the paperwork that you have. His staff is always helpful and very kind!!! He will be assisting my husband and I with ours next read more

We are so happy that we were referred to Kathleen by our friends who had gotten their living trust and wills prepared by her. She did an amazing job creating ours and helping to guide us through the process. We referred some of our friends to her as well. We recently updated our living trust and wills and she and her staff were wonderful helping us again. We also had to enlist Kathleen's help when my father passed away and we needed assistance in handling some issues we came across with his will and trust and her expertise and knowledge were greatly appreciated. We highly recommend Kathleen. She goes above and beyond to help her clients achieve their goals. Thank you Kathleen for all of your help over the years. read more

After my husband died, Probate was required for his estate since there was no will. Mr. Shumate and Myshel Yrigoyen were amazing and helped me through this very complicated process. My husband' s estate had a number of complicated accounts that the staff helped me navigate. The fees were very reasonable. Now that the Probate is finalized, I plan to work with the firm to establish a Trust. read more

I'm very grateful for how smooth they made the probate process go. They communicated every step of the way and were always very easy to get ahold of! read more

Over the last year I have had the pleasure to work with Ms. Albrektson and paralegal Jordan Quinley in dealing with the trust left by my sister. All procedures were clearly explained and I was provided with all necessary documents. They also handled correspondence with the beneficiaries as well as preparing transfer documents. While the winding up of the trust was more complicated than I (or probably my late sister!) expected, Ms. Albrektson and her staff made it as easy as possible and I was glad to feel confident that I was proceeding according to all legal requirements, thus protecting myself as well as the beneficiaries. Highly recommended. read more

I can't imagine going through everything that needed to be done following the death of my mom without the help of Kathleen Albrektson. She guided us through each step to close my mom's estate. She is knowledgeable, professional and compassionate. I highly recommend her. read more

We're grateful and impressed by the quality of professionalism, care, guidance and support that Chris and this firm demonstrated. Creating an Estate Plan and Living Trust isn't easy. From all of the emotions that arise in the decision making to understanding all the legalities and rules, Chris was patient with us, answered all of our questions and helped us really understand the different outcomes. We truly felt like we had someone who had a heart of a teacher, which is something we always look for but he also wasn't pushy or "salesy". The entire process was straightforward and efficient. And our final Estate Planning Notebook is detailed and organized. Even the Trust Specialist at our bank commented on how thorough our Notebook was and she herself was impressed! I can't begin to express how much peace we now have, knowing our affairs are in order for our children and each other. We know we made a fantastic decision choosing Chris and his team and we highly recommend him and his firm! read more

Kathleen Albrektson was very professional as she worked with my sister in the preparation of her Living Trust. When my sister recently passed away I became the Trustee. I can't say enough about Kathleen and her staff and the compassion and support they provided to our family in going through this difficult time and in guiding me through the administrative process, as the Trustee for my sisters estate. I had no idea all the requirements and legalities in being the Trust Administrator and without Kathleen and her experience, knowledge and suggestions I would not of have been able to navigate through this process. read more

I have been working with Kathleen Albrektson for some time now for the purpose of administering a family trust and creating several new trusts. She and her staff have been amazing. Very professional and all communication is very clear. Everything on their part have been completed in a timely manner. Sometimes we are left waiting on the courts but that would be the case with any attorney. My sister is also working with Christopher Shumate for a probate. She has expressed to me that she has been very happy as well. read more

Kathleen Albrektson donated a portion of her fees to a Kimberly Crest fundraiser. We were the fortunate winners. I have started and stopped creating a living trust many times. We went in and Kathleen was very helpful. She gave us options we were not even aware of. There was no pressure. Her office did the work to get our property titles transferred. We received a binder with our trust, with a detail of next steps including copies of our Medical power of attorney. We are extremely pleased with the ease of finally getting our trust completed. read more

We recently had our family trust completed by Kathleen Albrektson. She was very helpful, knowledgeable, and an expert in her field. We highly recommend her for doing your family trust. Guadalupe and Cecilia Vasquez. 8/7/2020. read more

When my mother was diagnosed with dementia in early 2014, I was referred to the law offices of Albrektson & Shumate to set up a trust account. We met with Kathleen (as she likes to be called) and she walk my family through the process and helped us tremendously set up a process that would assist us for the past 8 years. I am grateful to both her and her staff (especially Jordan) for always being there to answer my questions and concerns. In 2022, my mother succumbed to her disease and the law office was there to help me through the final process of the trust. I am forever thankful for the kindness that they have shown me throughout the process. I plan to use them in the future with opening my own trust and will. read more

My dad died and I needed some information from Ms Albrektson's office. She sent me a bill for talking to her for a few minutes. That was very insensitive. She cared more for money than my loss of my dad. read more

The receptionist was friendly and welcoming. Attorney Chris Shumate was very thorough in explaining choices I had when writing my will and patiently answered my many questions. I highly recommend Albrektson and Shumate. read more

The best service! Don't go anywhere else. If you are looking for a competent Trust attorney, Kathleen is the one. Incredibly organized and amazing at explaining each step in an easy to understand way. They were especially respectful and ethical in dealing with my mother - making sure to carefully understand what she wanted and making sure she understood all the aspects she was signing. read more

Kathleen is the perfect attorney - competent AND friendly! She takes time to explain everything in language you can understand without getting a law degree. She truly cares about her clients and tailors everything to meet their needs now and help them prepare for the future. read more

Christopher Shumate assisted my husband and I with our Estate Planning. We are so pleased with the experience and very relieved to finally take that crucial step in obtaining our Living Trust and Will. To protect our children and our assets, we have wanted to do this for a long time - we just never seemed to find the time. We highly recommend at least meeting with Chris Shumate to fully understand the process. The staff at Albrektson & Shumate is beyond awesome! They went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and were very helpful when we called with a quick question. What we really appreciated about Chris Shumate was his method of educating us through the initial consultation and during the next two meetings. He answered every one of our questions with "regular people" language and helped us to understand what the Living Trust process would be like, how California law works specific to our situation and gave us different options to consider for our personal choices. He listened to us, took lots of notes and asked us lots of questions. He heard our concerns and our questions and his answers helped to give us confidence in the decisions we were making. We never felt rushed, we never felt pressured, and we never left his office feeling confused. Believe me, this can be very confusing for those of us who don't do estate planning every day. We went in to this with big question marks over our heads and we left with exclamation points. A true professional is one who guides you to questions you didn't even know to ask. That professional is Christopher Shumate. read more

Good service! My wife and I had been procrastinating for years and now have the peace of mind of having our estate planned without much difficulty. Kathleen is very pleasant and professional and the whole staff works as a team. Get it over with! read more

Outstanding, friendly, and compassionate professionalism awaits anyone who is blessed to meet with Christopher Shumate, who is assisting us with our Living Trust and Estate Planning. The reputation of his fine firm precedes him, and the wonderful and peaceful sense of knowing essential planning is being done well and customized to our personal needs and directives is a huge weight lifted off our shoulders for our future and our posterity. Truly extraordinary. We will recommend him to everyone. Lindsay H. read more

The majority of the five-star reviews for Kathleen seem to have been written by clients who engaged her to draft their own wills and/or living trusts. I write this from a different perspective- that of someone who met with Kathleen after a relative for whom she prepared a living trust passed. Kathleen provided a truly disappointing experience that made losing a relative even more emotionally difficult. This is something important to consider if you're thinking about engaging her to draft your will and/or living trust, as your relatives will ultimately be the ones who'll need to work with her after your passing. At my husband's (the client) and sister-in-law's request, I accompanied them to Kathleen's office after the loss of my dear father-in-law. All of us were disappointed with our experience with Kathleen. We felt that she showed a lack of compassion for our situation, asked intrusive and inappropriate questions about another relative's medical information, questioned my integrity and the strength of my marriage for no apparent reason other than I'm not blood-related to the family, and was condescending. When we repeated a few questions that she answered earlier in our meeting, she responded with something to the effect of "don't you remember what I told you?", as if we were inconveniencing her. Anyone who has suffered the pain of losing a loved one can understand that it can be difficult to absorb information when one is distressed, but Kathleen displayed no empathy. We all left her office more upset and confused than when we arrived. Kathleen may be good at creating estate plans, but consider whether you'd want your relatives to have a similarly unpleasant experience with Kathleen after you pass. After my husband and sister-in-law expressed their disappointment to her in person, and she read my feedback in this review, she withdrew her representation of the family, stating she "became more certain we are not a good fit for each other". Although I feel this reflects poorly on her ability as an attorney to resolve differences and represent her client, we're now much happier partnering with the trusted and compassionate attorney we've used for our own estate planning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- In reply to "John A.", who wrote the law firm's response to this review: You posted some inaccurate information about the circumstances and timing. This isn't surprising since neither you nor anyone else from your firm except Kathleen were in the office that day to witness the event, but it does show a lack of attention to facts and evidence, which are undesirable attributes in an attorney. A simple comparison of the time our appointment ended vs. the time I posted this review would've have made it evident that I didn't write it in your lobby, as you falsely claim. I did indeed decide to wait in the lobby during the last few minutes of the meeting because I was so offended by Kathleen's comments and lack of empathy, which underscores the points I've previously made in this review. Lastly, we were there on a Saturday because despite the urgent nature of the matter and the surviving family's geographic dispersion across the state, your firm wasn't able to provide any appointment times during the work week while we were in Redlands, and added a $300 after-hours fee to the bill for seeing us on the weekend. read more

Recommended by our financial advisor to help update our Living Trust. Christopher was professional in every way. He was very courteous and explained all the details of the update very carefully and completely. He explained all options, answered any question about the pros and cons of the options, and finalized the trust only with our full concurrence and understanding. His staff were equally professional and courteous in person and during all phone conversations. Final result was a very comprehensive document that has put our minds at ease and gave us the assurance we had provided for our family members in the best way possible. read more

Albrektson & Shumate is a great law firm. Their staff are so willing to help and they're very nice. They helped me so much with my probate situation regarding my deceased husband and our house. I will definitely use them again. read more

Everyone needs a Trust to avoid expensive Court fees and costs you would otherwise incur to probate a Last Will and Testament. A properly prepared Trust is all you need. Kathleen Albrektson is the perfect lawyer to provide you with a Trust that not only meets all of your needs, but no one can do better in ensuring that you understand all of your options, what everything means for you and your beneficiaries, and the additional comfort of a reasonable fee. Don't hesitate to make an appointment -- you'll be doing handsprings that you found Albrektson & Shumate LLP. read more

My husband and I needed to update our trust and advanced directive that were 20 years old. We received a recommendation for Mr. Schumate. I looked up reviews and felt he would be able to address our needs. Mr. Schumate was professional and knowledgeable. He and his staff answered all of our questions and guided us through the process of updating the trust in a clear and concise manner. The forms and worksheets his office provided along the way made the process easy. Having an updated trust eases our minds enormously. Thank you! read more