After seeing several very positive recommendations on Next Door, I met with and decided to work…read morewith Brittany Birnie Greene on a restatement of my will and living trust. This is the third will/trust restatement/update I have done in the last 30 years and I found Brittany to be the most responsive, knowledgable, detail oriented, engaged. Also the first woman I've worked with, which was not a criterion but felt like the right choice. I found Brittany to be completely prepared to explain in clear language all the nuances and legalities of the process....or to not overexplain whenever I said I was pretty familiar with the various sections of the documents. I truly enjoyed working with her and was impressed not only by the reasonable fee but by her firm's (Just Brittany and sister Tate) generous policy with respect to updating certain parts of the trust and/or taking brief phone calls at no charge. I'm delighted that I chose Birnie Law and highly recommend them to others. BTW, I'm surprised there are so few reviews on Yelp. Probably just that most people are so glad to have this process 'done' that they don't want to think about it once it is. Worth noting that they do no advertising but are always very busy just from word of mouth. Again, just the kind of firm I like.

I needed a few legal questions answered concerning my mom's estate, but was having a devil of a…read moretime finding an attorney willing to sit down with me for an hour or so to resolve them. One cretin (name withheld out of courtesy) tried to get me to pay a $3,500 deposit up front, and he had the people skills of a sixth grade remedial student. Very lucky to have had a friend recommend Tate Birney in Sebastopol. I cannot remember the last time I felt so comfortable in a lawyer's office; and I left feeling like with a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and that I really had found a caring and smart advocate, should I require services in the future. Very reasonable rates, especially for one who is clearly so capable and qualified. Even from just my one meeting with Tate Birney, I can, with intuitive confidence, recommend her highly.

Professional, thorough inside and out, well worth the cost! Needed help with new lap top computer…read moreand made appointment with Mark(?). He was kind and very helpful. Time limits caused a shorter space than I needed but I will make another appointment Great resource!!

The people at the Sebastopol area senior Center are delightful. They greet you with a smile they…read moreknow your name and they really care about the people who attend. There are lots of great activities, classes and gatherings. Not to mention the harvest Cafe which serves great food everyday it's the best deal in town!

I've lived here going on 3 years. Our manager, Robert, has been here since before I moved in…read more Thoughtful, smart, engaging, collegial. My late husband and I had been on the waiting list for a similar facility in Oakland. After he passed away, family up here suggested I take a look at this place. First of all: It's simply beautiful! Architecture is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright. Main building is pretty much natural materials, high ceilings, lovely light fixtures. Huge living room w/ fireplace opens out onto the large flagstone patio, with an oak grove beyond, between us and the golf course greens. Amazingly, our whole property wasn't touched by the horrible fires up here last year. Which reminds me - at the edge of our property we have a little area for our chickens and their coop. . We have fresh eggs available for residents several mornings a week. We have a beautiful theater, movies every night - fresh popcorn included. Residents' committees are active in every aspect of this beautiful place. Wine Wednesday is one of my favorites. Wonderful hors d'oeuvres included. On nice afternoons, we can sit outside on the patio. We even have our own barber/beauty shop whose small staff are amazingly good and up to date on styles. That's one of the few things that are not included. There's medical staff available if requested, pretty much 24/7. Beautiful pool and in-ground hot tub right out back. Gym ihas amazingly up to date equipment, plus all kinds of exercise classes, aerobics, etc. all included. The food is absolutely amazing! Chef Adam is top-rate! He worked w/ me last autumn to come up with an incredible menu for my private birthday dinner in our Wine Cellar, for close friends & family. Earlier in the afternoon, I had my late husband's and my all-time favorite band play fab rock'n'roll a la the Rolling Stones, for all the residents, out on our gorgeous flagstone patio that backs up to the golf course, and partially shaded by live-oak groves. Chef made wonderful hors d'oeuvres, and a variety of nice wines were poured. I'd asked him to just do it like our weekly "Wine Wednesday" event. It would be awfully hard to beat this place! I'd simply asked him to do a party similar to our weekly Wine Wednesdays. It was all fabulous! As is Wine Wednesday! (For which there's no extra charge!) We always have a deelish assortment of hors d'ouevres, hot & cold; live music, with different musicians each week. Pianists, guitarists, flautists. Sometimes, a combo. Classical, rock'n'roll, blues. When It's nice weather, many of us take our glasses out onto the patio. Seating is comfy, plus the lowest level of the flagstone- faced concrete retaining wall which borders an oak grove with beautiful plants and flowers. We also have a series of special concert events for which we can order tix for preferred seating. Concerts are everything from blues to mariachi to classical. I got a small-breed pup after our 17-yr old kitty died 2 weeks after my husband. Happily, they found me a beautiful ground-floor apt. w/ a lovely small patio. Plus, there's a nice dog park at the end of each wing. I thank my late husband every night.

I was told that this lodge when I inquired has younger independent residents; however, they offer…read moreassisted living and memory care. Residents look old in their photographs. I don't get it. My dad is looking for a permanent place to live where they will take care of him no matter what. Do they throw him out on the street when he gets older (which everyone does) or in-firmed by poor health? Very insensitive director I spoke with. Unbelievable!

I have learned from Katharina in her classes and worked with her as a colleague. She is an…read moreexceptional mediator and communicator. Her works has improved many lives and healed many families. I personally got to witness her coach help the relationship between an elder and his caregiver, and it was transformative.

Katharina Dress is a very experienced facilitator , and helped me and my two grown children address…read moredifficult decisions about my own aging. She is a fair, impartial listener, and very tuned into areas of conflict, which she was able to address in an empathic way. My children are getting along better as a result of her interventions, and my relationship with them has also improved. It was definitely a positive experience, and one that I think many aging adults with children would benefit from. I highly recommend her!

When my mother fell and suffered multiple fractures of her pelvis, I reached out to the ombudsman…read moreprogram for assistance in filing a complaint against the residential care home (Sonoma Serenity Home). The ombudsman staff were polite and thorough in taking my report and referring my concerns on the state regulatory authority. It was great to have their advocacy support during a stressful time.

I am so grateful for Kaye's help. My elderly mom fell and was in the hospital. We knew she could…read morenot live at home anymore but probably only had two or three weeks to find assisted living for her. Talk about panic! I called Kaye for help and she gave us a lot of very helpful advice. It sure has made the process of finding a new home for mom much easier and less stressful. Thank you, Kaye!

I second all of the positive reviews here. Alan really helped us find the best memory care facility…read morefor my dad. He made a confusing and stressful time infinitely less so and I'm so grateful for his help throughout the process. Highly recommend!

Maria Cura of ESPS has been extremely helpful in following up with our inquiry, which required her…read moreto call around regarding specific population mix of the senior communities that my MIL prefers. In a couple of days, Maria came up with a good list with detailed information and creative ways to address my MIL's needs, which I was not aware of before. Maria has a wealth of information on Bay Area's senior communities and she is courteous, thoughtful, resourceful, and very responsive. I would highly recommend Maria for your senior placement needs.

Where to start? I've been working with David on finding placement for my parents, and while I…read morehaven't yet succeeded in getting them relocated, all the roadblocks at this point are on my end. David has been incredibly helpful throughout the process. I learned so much from just the first couple of discussions with him, and he really set my mind at ease by giving me the support and information I needed to make more informed decisions regarding senior care. I can't say enough good things about this service... navigating options is so bewildering without good advice!