I worked with Renee Conrad to redo all my legal docs after getting remarried. I was provided with…read moreoutstanding legal advice on setting up my will, my trust and all the other necessary documents. It took some back and forth and planning, but Renee was patient and put in the effort to get what I wanted. I found Renee gave great advice, and the entire staff was very professional, very helpful, and provided great service! I highly recommend the whole team there!

Great job by the team on both probate and trust administration. I wanted to wait and see what my…read morereassessment from the assessors office was before reviewing. They nailed it and got my Prop 19 Exclusion saving me a lot of taxes in the property transfer. It was worth the fees to have it done right.

Responsive to a probate concern and responded promptly to a text and email and suggested a phone…read moreresponse, but wife is still processing the whole probate issue

Lisa is such a wonderful resource for clients who are in need of help with trusts and wills. I have…read morehad a people I referred to her who are in unique situations and have complex needs for their estates. Lisa is compassionate and knowledgeable and has done such a wonderful job of ensuring that their unique estate planning needs are met.

Our experience with Mari started out great, but then communication became more and more sparse. We…read morewere SO close to completing paperwork when she simply stopped returning our messages. The last step was for her to send in the completed papers and that was 5 months ago. Very disappointed.

Update: I received…read moreMarizen's private message and her request to edit or remove my review--this request was notably left off her public comment as noted in the screenshot attached. Since the 2 stars (which equates to the "[service] could've been better") were due to the unprofessionalism and inattentiveness shown (not due to her being an LDA), I have no reason to change my rating or delete my review. TL;DR: Marizen is NOT a lawyer. She is a Legal Document Assistant that cannot provide you with legal advice. She is a significantly affordable option for a Living Trust but she is unprofessional and has poor attention to detail-- key characteristics that are paramount to detailing an important document. Details: I left a Living Trust inquiry via her site and Marizen emailed me back within 1 day to "text" her back for a scheduled over-the-phone consult. Upon speaking with Marizen it was clear she did not take the time to review the few questions I had sent her in my initial inquiry as she was confused as to what the consult would primarily be regarding. Her rates were significantly less than what other competing services were offering which raised an orange flag for me. Upon further research, I realized Marizen was NOT a lawyer, but rather a "Legal Document Assistant (LDA)." According to the CA Attorney General, LDAs cannot give legal advice. This was my first encounter with an LDA, which allowed me the opportunity to do the necessary research to make a more educated investment. Had Marizen gotten back to me with the necessary next steps and questionnaire as she had promised (it's been over 1.5 weeks), I may have considered her as a possible option to complete my Living Trust needs. But if you are looking for a more affordable option, perhaps Marizen is a good fit for you.

This practice has been taken over by Nicolle Nelson. Ms. Nelson has been amazing assisting me with…read moremy aunt's estate. I highly recommend her.

I had a negative experience with Ms Des Jardins's office but before reading her yelp reviews I sent…read morethem an email to see if they care to respond. When they ignored me I came to yelp and saw the alarming review one reviewer had left so I decided to write about my experience. I called the office to make an appointment to set up a trust and and possibly conservatorship for my elderly neighbors who are having memory issues. I was asked by their family who are out of town and Adult Protective Services of Santa Cruz County to help. My neighbors had already gone to Ms Des Jardins before (APS had recommended her) but had forgotten to keep their follow up appointment. When I called the office the person who called herself a receptionist could not find the record of the previous meeting. Then she proceeded to grill me about my neighbors for a good half an hour without telling me whether or not she was going to schedule an appointment. At first she said she might be able to squeeze us in next week. As she asked more questions she said the lawyer will be on vacation next week. Then one week became one and a half weeks. She became more and more reluctant to give us an appointment and when I said if they have a problem they should talk to APS who recommended them she said oh no, we don't talk to APS! When I would ask her a question she would brush it off with "I'm just the receptionist." Some receptionist! She was clearly screening clients. I was very disappointed that first, the office had lost my neighbors' record. Second, as an office that claims to specialize in elder law they seemed unable and unwilling to deal with real issues of real older people. Third, they would not give me a straight answer. I kept saying will you give us an appointment, yes or no? And the "receptionist" would hem and haw about the attorney's vacation and speaking engagements and very busy schedule. By the time she offered me a reluctant appointment three weeks down the line I had lost all confidence in this office. As a previous reviewer mentioned when you are dealing with the needs of elderly people who need a lot of care and honesty, trust is very important. If a lawyer or her office does not inspire trust, forget it. I called APS and told them my experience and proceeded to find an attorney that inspires trust. They do exist out there, you know!

Was recommended by a local lawyer MR Brodsky, who called them and they said they will…read moreHe able to help with a case of creditor putting a claim against of the trust. But when I called- I only was able to reach the secretary and 4 days later received a dry respond advised to find someone else.

Seeking advice on updating my son's special needs trust, the Corman group came highly recommended…read more Arriving early for my appointment, I was comfortable right away with the office dogs holding court! Our introductory meeting was an opportunity for me to describe my needs on behalf of my son. Lauren Corman displayed listening skills as well as asking knowledgeable questions. Both Lauren and her associate took notes on our conversation. I left the meeting feeling I made the right choice in representation. I am looking forward to the process and am confident of a positive result. Matt Bloom

My wife and I just completed our estate planning with Ashley, and we cannot say enough about how…read moregreat she is. Professional, meticulous, empathetic and compassionate, Ashley goes the extra mile to assure as positive an experience as possible during an inherently sobering experience. Five stars are not enough!

We hired Ashley and her team to create our estate plan for us, after interviewing several estate…read moreattorneys and attending Ashley's free presentation at the library. We were a bit concerned because we have a unique situation and don't fit into a standard estate plan. However, Ashley was amazing, working with us to personalize the plan and documents so it suited our situation and desires. Deja, her paralegal, was also amazing helping us with the nitty gritty details of the many documents. In the end, we have a sense of relief that things are taken care of and will be easier to handle when the time comes. One of several things that I really like about Beautiful Life Estate Planning is it's a package deal - she doesn't try to nickel and dime you with extra charges. One fee, disclosed up front, covers everything, no extra charges for emails, phone calls, notary, etc. And at the end, she provides a binder with all the documents very well organized for future reference. She also has an adorable pup, Sage, that if you go in on a Friday you get to meet.

Ten years ago I had a diagnosis of cancer that was as unexpected as it was aggressive. I needed to…read moreget my affairs in order quickly. I contacted Harriet as I had met her through social circles and found her to be a very sincere, authentic person. Harriet made my estate a priority and quickly, accurately and compassionately created a solid Trust for my estate. Sounds lofty saying "Estate" as it was just my home and 401K's but Harriet crossed every "t" and dotted every "i" in a way that gave me assurance and peace. Thankfully, I had the kind of cancer that had 50/50 chance of survival. I am happy to say I am still here and realizing that I need to update my Trust. The only person I trust with my Trust is Harriet and I will be seeing her soon to make sure everything is as it should be.

I had a brief consultation with Ms. Brown on an estate matter. She delivered clear, concise…read moreinformation with compassion. I would strongly recommend her to anyone looking to set up a trust or for other estate planning needs.

I cannot say enough about how helpful Kathleen and her paralegal, Gloria, were in going through the…read morearduous process of settling my brother's estate. Absolutely would reccomend them highly!

Ms. Brewington created a will and a trust for my husband and me about seven years ago. It was a…read moresecond marriage for both of us and a somewhat complicated trust. This wasn't a fun activity, but I had peace of mind once it was completed. I knew Kathy had been in the Santa Cruz area for a long time and her prices seemed reasonable. I noticed a couple of errors, but didn't think they were significant enough to have corrected at the time. She advised that we revisit it in five years as inheritance laws change. Fast forward seven years. We met with two other lawyers to get a neutral take on Kathy's product. Both independently said it was confusing, contradictory, poorly written and would almost surely be challenged if heirs had a hankering to do so. There was much fodder for argument in the way it was composed. She used nicknames in some places and our legal names in other areas. To put it bluntly--it was a mess. They fact that two unrelated lawyers said exactly the same words was disconcerting as best. My peace of mind was misplaced all those years for sure! Bottom line was, we started all over and now have a solid, well-written document when we need it. The second lawyer who drafted our current trust asked better questions and was so much more thorough, it was hard to believe. We ended up spending much more money than had we gone to our present lawyer in the beginning. We just didn't know, but now you do.

Outstanding Legal Representation: A Review of Angel Hess…read more From our very first interaction, Angel proved to be exceptionally bright and straightforward, cutting through MANY years of prior legal work and getting to the bottom line of where I was in the process. She kept the process streamlined and moving forward which is exactly what I needed. Her time-consciousness is evident not only in her manner and billing but also in how she holds other parties accountable. She relentlessly--one might even say doggedly--pursues necessary communications, ensuring all timelines are met and creating a clear paper trail. Ultimately, Angel Hess is an incredibly effective lawyer. If you need a goal-oriented, persistent, savvy, and blunt advocate who values your time, Angel Hess should be your first call.

Angel Hess was wonderful. She helped my mom with her will, and then was so helpful with legal…read moreadvice after my mom passed

We wondered if giving regular passage permission across our property to a neighbor's 8-year-old…read moredaughter visiting her close friend would put us at risk for someone else claiming an easement. Ms. Levini answered my questions in the free consultation, which should make life better for all concerned. I'm paying that gift forward with this review. Work with a good person and knowledgeable professional.

Out of state LLC questions answered! Fantastic service. Concise, accurate, FRIENDLY! Call her!read more