Updating my estate plan had been on my To Do list for over 10 years! My original estate planning…read moreattorney retired several years ago and I just kept procrastinating until I finally committed myself to this important task in early 2026. I scanned through Yelp and discovered Blacksburg Law and found the reviews very encouraging, and appreciated how robust and informative the firm's website was. I submitted an inquiry via Yelp and we were off to the races! The entire process was excellent and seamless, from first contact to final delivery of my estate plan. The team was incredible - professional, knowledgeable, efficient, and personable. I greatly appreciated the team's use of technology -- from the intake questionnaire, Zoom meetings, client workspace portal, and remote notary. These tools made the entire process frictionless and allowed me to complete my "homework" even while traveling. I highly recommend Blacksburg Law for either creating your first estate plan or updating one that is overdue for a revision. Thank you Michael and Team!

I highly recommend Michael Blacksburg and the entire Blacksburg Law team for estate planning. I…read morefirst worked with them to create my original living trust and recently returned to complete a comprehensive restatement of my trust. Michael, Natalie Carrera, and the entire team were knowledgeable, professional, responsive, and incredibly thorough throughout both processes. Estate planning can feel overwhelming, but they took the time to explain everything clearly, answer all of my questions, and ensure that every detail reflected my wishes. The final documents were exceptionally well organized, and I left with complete confidence that my estate plan is exactly what I wanted. Their attention to detail and commitment to their clients really stood out. If you're looking for an experienced, trustworthy, and caring estate planning law firm, I would not hesitate to recommend Michael Blacksburg, Natalie Carrera, and the Blacksburg Law team.

We were on the market for an Estate Attorney due to my mom thinking about getting her trust done. I…read moreresearched different places and after calling a couple of attorneys we ended up going with Summerall Law. Let me tell you that this is the first time we went through the process of establishing a trust and it went very smoothly. Danielle was very thorough and answered all the questions that we had. At first we were on the fence about getting a trust established but after working with Danielle, we realized how important it is. No gimmicks, no hidden fees, and 100% transparent. Looking forward to working with Danielle and Summerall Law for years to come.

Professional attorneys and staff. They answered questions very well and clearly. I highly…read morerecommend!!!

Lauren is very professional. straight to business and very good at explaining everything. Not many…read morequestions left to ask after she presents the process. She is not pushy, but won't hold your hand either. Clean cut business, get to the point type.

I used Lauren Smykowski Law office for a living trust service and she did a great job putting…read moretogether my trust and explaining the process to me and my family. I would recommend this service to everyone.

We had a great experience working with Kelley A. Way to set up our estate plan. She was warm,…read moreprofessional, and walked us through everything clearly. The process went smoothly, and she was super accommodating, even when we had a change late in the process. I'd definitely recommend her to anyone looking to set up their estate plan, or any other services required. Fun bonus: we requested her dogs join us at the office during our meeting. Highly recommend. 10/10, very good dogs.

She help my wife and I update our trust and explain everything we to us. She even correct some…read moreissues with our original trust. Kelley is a great lawyer to work with

After my stepdad passed away, I found myself dealing with some complicated trust and estate…read morequestions involving an out-of-state trust. It definitely wasn't a straightforward situation, and I needed someone who could think through the nuances instead of offering a one-size-fits-all answer. Rob and his team were fantastic from the very beginning. What stood out most was that Rob took the time to truly listen and understand the details of my situation before offering advice. He asked thoughtful questions, explained the different options clearly, and helped me understand the potential outcomes of each path. His knowledge and experience were obvious, but he never made me feel rushed or overwhelmed. During a difficult and stressful time, it was incredibly reassuring to have a team that was responsive, patient, and easy to work with. They helped make a complicated process feel manageable, and that was something I genuinely appreciated. If I ever need help with a trust, estate, or will in the future, I wouldn't hesitate to work with Rob and his team again. Highly recommended.

Very prompt and also always reaches out called him about a gaze and he did his best to answer my…read morequestions and I was happy very helpful. He was spoke with Mr. Jaffe and I got what I needed to know about my case so I recommend his services.

My husband and I recently worked with James Stein to create our living trust, and we couldn't have…read moreasked for a better experience. James was extremely knowledgeable and did an amazing job explaining complex information in a way that was easy for us to understand. He was also very pleasant, personable, and made us feel comfortable throughout the entire process. Our trust was a bit complicated and had many moving parts, but James handled everything effortlessly. He took the time to provide clear examples, answer all of our questions, and offer thoughtful advice along the way. We truly appreciated his expertise, patience, and professionalism. I would absolutely recommend James to my friends and family!

James was absolutely wonderful to work with. After researching lawyers in the area we booked an…read moreinitial free consultation and then worked with him to review and update my parents living trust. Navigating these things can be hard and definitely confusing but he explained things simply and clearly so we could get everything in order. Really gives our family peace of mind. Thank you so much James!

I wanted to create a comprehensive estate plan and trust. After researching attorneys in the East…read moreBay, I found Stefanie and was impressed by her excellent reviews. From our very first meeting, I understood why. She made what initially felt like a complicated and somewhat overwhelming process remarkably simple. She walked me through everything step by step and helped me think through not only my trust, but my banking and brokerage accounts, health care directive, and all the other details that needed to be addressed. In the end, she provided me with a complete, well-organized binder that gives me tremendous peace of mind knowing my family will have the information and direction they need. What has impressed me just as much is the relationship didn't end when the trust was completed. Four years later, some things in my life had changed, and I contacted Stefanie to review and update my estate plan. She remembered me, knew my documents, and once again made the entire process easy and straightforward. We went through what had changed, she helped me understand what needed to be adjusted, and I walked away feeling completely confident that everything was in order. I trust Stefanie, I believe in her, and I am extremely grateful for the work she has done for me. If you are considering creating or updating a trust, will, health care directive, or simply want to make sure your affairs are properly organized for the people you love, I highly recommend Stefanie West. She combines legal expertise with a very personal, compassionate approach. I would not hesitate to recommend Stefanie to my family and friends.

After experiencing truly one of the most difficult times of my life, I cannot express how much I…read moreappreciated having Stefanie in my corner to help me navigate the process of trust administration of my late mother's estate. Early on I naively thought that my mother's estate was not so complicated and I should be able to manage the trust administration on my own. But even when the estate is seemingly simple, beware the "Bureaucracy of Death!" There were a lot of unexpected hoops to jump through in dealing with banks and other institutions, even when the estate is in a trust and not probate. I searched and met with a handful of Contra Costa County area trust attorneys before I found Stefanie. What stood out about Stefanie is that she is a kind human being, along with being very smart and knowledgeable. Whenever I talked to her, it felt like I was speaking with a person, not a "lawyer," and I really appreciated that during a difficult time. She was also very responsive whenever I reached out with a question. Without her, I would have likely made many errors in administering the trust, had so many more headaches, and gone down unnecessary paths. Her pricing is very fair and I felt so lucky to have worked with her!

We created Living Trust with David Arietta. David and his associate Megan were very friendly…read moreexplained us all options and helped to create the Living Trust within couple weeks. Highly recommend David Arietta.

David Arietta and Megan Huffman were both incredibly patient and compassionate throughout the…read moreentire case, helped guide us through every step, and made sure everything was taken care of. Professional, diligent, and reliable; highly recommended to anyone who needs legal representation!

Had a great update of our will and trust with Liz. She was very helpful and addressed all my wife's…read moreand my questions. I will rest easy knowing this important part of showing you love family members is taken care of. If you need will or trust advice I would gladly recommend Liz.

GETTING A TRUST: Trust McKenna Koepke of Blackstock & Barsell as she is as sharp as a tack! What…read morea pleasant positive experience it was using McKenna to make my Trust. Hearing all the buzz on making sure you have a Trust in place; but also hearing of the nightmares with the court system when you DON'T have a Trust in place, I KNEW I needed one. So I searched and called McKenna Koepke of Blackstock & Barsell in Walnut Creek. This office has plenty of parking which was a plus for me. It is located very close to Whole Foods in Walnut Creek. I was greeted at the office door with a welcoming smile and immediately proceeded to meet McKenna in her office. She went through the Trust procedure precisely and in a way that I understood it; not confusing me with all the legal words/terms. She answered all my questions and gave me plenty of time to ask them all; and there were a lot. Indeed it was a very easy meeting full of education and knowledge. I knew right away that I wanted McKenna of Blackstock & Barsell to do my Trust. McKenna also promptly answered all my after-meeting telephone questions that had popped into my head later when I got home and the week after. I said yes to her doing my Trust and the ease it took to come to the final paperwork was astonishing. McKenna is friendly, extremely knowledgeable, tentative, expeditious and organized. AFTER TRUST FINALIZED AND FUTURE: McKenna is a hands-on person! Every time I call her with questions, she gets back to me promptly which is a rarity these days. For instance, I had a question about something I heard on the street about Power of Attorney and she quickly called me back and updated me. When I bought some property it was a quick call to her and it was taken care of. Hands-on McKenna has sent me educational emails of law changes which may affect my generation in case we need to change anything in our Trust. I can't begin to write how happy and secure I feel with McKenna Koepke of Blackstock & Barsell working on my behalf.

If you're facing a difficult divorce, especially one involving children, call Candelaria…read more When I contacted Stan Sarkisov in November 2024, I was facing the hardest time my life. What began as an attempt at an amicable separation turned into a nightmare when my ex hired an aggressive litigator and weaponized the court system against me and our child. Despite co-owning our home and paying the mortgage for 15 years, he locked my daughter and me out, forcing us to live out of my car. Stan's colleague had described him to me as having "the biggest heart," but said that that when faced with a crisis, Stan would show up with fierce expertise to protect us. This is exactly what Stan did. What sets Stan apart: * Genuine compassion combined with expert family law knowledge * Clear strategy focused on protecting children's wellbeing * Collaborative and professional even when opposing counsel escalated situations While my ex's counsel engaged in courtroom theatrics, Stan and his team never lost sight of what truly mattered: my child's wellbeing and our family's future. Stan and his team are everything you want in legal representation: skilled, strategic, compassionate, and committed to protecting what matters most. Big shoutout to Hannah Probets and everyone in the office (Maria, Sylvia, Chloe!) They truly understand families, not just legal procedures. After a year of unwavering support, strategic guidance, and steady presence through the storm, I'm free to move forward. Stan gave me my life back. With deep gratitude.

Was referred to Vanessa by a consulting attorney due to issues that could not be resolved by…read moremediation. After having a consultation with Vanessa she sounded very nice and compassionate about helping me. She very strongly recommended to file an ex parte order which I agreed to as I trusted her judgement. Fast forward a few weeks later to when her law office filed the ex parte order, she couldn't be in court because she was to busy so she told me Lorena Garcia would be able to be there for this upcoming court date. If not she said it would look bad if I waited for her to be available. Ever since then I never heard a word from Vanessa, she was the one I wanted to be working with originally, but it felt as though she had no time to deal with me or my case and just pushed me off to someone else. She should have been up front about this from the beginning instead of handing me over to Lorena. When it came to the actual court date Lorena was not good, very soft spoken and did nothing! She said she was going to bring up all these points to the judge but literally said 2 things and was done. After court when we were talking she even went as far as to say I should "Look up my husbands ex girlfriends to see if I could get information out of them and get them to write a statement." Why would I ever do that?? This is the advice that you give me? This place does NOT care about their clients, they only care about making money off you! After court I told Lorena that I wanted to drop the ex parte order. She then proceeded to charge me an extra $3K when she specifically said she could not work on my case any further. The one thing I asked her to do was to drop the order and she did not do it! WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY DO NOT GO HERE!