referred by legal access group. I was expecting to get a consultation from the firm, but the firm turned me away with a go-to-hell-like email like: "Thank you for considering Vaksman Khalfin for your legal needs. Unfortunately, our firm cannot assist with your matter. We suggest that you contact MetLife and find an attorney that can assist. We wish you the best of luck." update: They didn't tell why until I wrote this review. They said "It is because we only handle cases with personal injures and your case doesn't have it". Should I believe them or not? read more

I've worked with Vaksman for a couple of years. They help redo my parents living trust about 5 years ago and i signed up for their membership program and in the beginning they were prompt at returning calls and answering questions. but now they don't even respond to set up appointments or anything. their paralegals are terrible and anything but helpful. Do yourself a favor and find legal that are there to help you. Now I have to find someone to return my calls to set up a living trust for myself. read more

I cannot speak too highly of the advice, services and representation from Vaksman Khalfin. They recently represented me in a Personal injury matter and were extremely professional but not detached. Diane and subsequently Paul were very diligent and responsive. Expertly steered by Alan we achieved a very satisfactory settlement - and then they were able to negotiate extra cost savings !! As an ex-lawyer I was probably a more demanding client and they were extremely patient and carefully explained procedures , tactics and strategy. I very happy to wholeheartedly recommend them read more

I had questions about Trusts, and an employer legal insurance plan. I spoke with Valery who was absolutely knowledgeable, client focused and patient! Valery answered all of my questions and provided other information I needed. Valery made it clear to me I called the right firm! read more

I used this firm to setup a Revocable Living Trust for my family. The process was almost entirely done online, and any time I had questions, they had someone ready to help either through live chat or by phone. The cost was reasonable, especially compared with what I discovered other attorneys charging. I had consultations with two other Bay Area attorneys and the costs were hard to believe (approx. $3000). I run my own business that helps clients (not in the legal field). I also used to work as an admin at a very expensive law firm in the City back in my twenties. I have friends who are attorneys. I have a business attorney. In short, I know that some things are literally fill-in-the-blank, and $3000 seemed like a STEEP price to pay. I also appreciate how difficult it can be to provide solid support and answers for such a potentially complex process. I was honestly surprised by the level of responsiveness this firm provided as I was "kicking the tires" and also while we were setting up the trust. Anything the Stephanie the paralegal couldn't answer was immediately kicked up to the attorney. Alan, the attorney, was quite prompt in getting back to me by phone or email. We chose to do the annual membership option on the living trust. I've never been a fan of recurring fees in general. However, I have had to reach out a couple times to get help/advice regarding family planning over the last two years, and Alan has been gracious, responsive, and extremely informative every time. I think a difficult-to-value perk to this annual fee setup is knowing that the attorneys on the other end are less stressed and more available to give solid answers promptly. I've seen what stressed out attorneys and business owners are like, and I think my family is getting a reasonable deal and solid advice using the annual plan. Is it the cheapest way to get legal advice? Probably not. Are you looking for the absolute cheapest advice? That's your call. For the living trust process itself, I was very satisfied. read more

VERY UNSATISFIED with their services. I had my personal injury car accident case with Vaksman Khalfin for a year and a half since March of 2019. When I began I was informed that my demand would be ready to be filed once I ended treatment, which would be 5-6 months from March of 2019. My treatment ended in about July 2019. I tried to reach out to inform Diane and was having the hardest time getting a hold of her. When I finally did about a month or two later, (I would call, leave voicemails and emails) she said she would begin working on the demand. Months passed and no news, I decide to reach out and same thing, super hard to get a hold of. Sometimes I would just leave a message and leave things alone after reaching out hoping she would get back to me. I mean months would pass by and no communication from her. In January of 2020 I was finally able to get a hold of her again and she still hadn't filed the demand but said she would file it within a week. I spoke with her one other time in about February and she claimed she filed the demand. I left things alone and it is now November 2020, with no contact from her and no answer when I attempted to reach out. I got sick of waiting and decided to substitute counsel. Come to find out by my new attorney - no demand was ever filed!!!!!!!!!!!!! My statute of limitations is two years and we had already reached a year in a half, I am just glad I substituted counsel or else who knows if my case would have ever been worked on. Super upset with Diane and the firm, she lied about filing the demand when she never did and I was barely ever able to get a hold of her. I DO NOT recommend this firm. read more

In 2015, I helped my parents set up a Living Trust through Vaksman Khalfin. They were very involved, spending as much time as needed to answer all of my questions and quickly created a comprehensive Trust in a very short period of time. We were amazed at how fast the process was because we had heard many stories about people having problems with a trust. Now, a few years since Vaksman Khalfin helped us with the trust, my parents passed away. I am so thankful that they did not have to worry about their children, and we now do not have to be concerned because the Trust was so well constructed. Thank you, for doing so much for our family! Sincerely, Bruce Henderson read more

I used yelp to send a message, and they were initially very responsive. They said how their partner wanted to work with me and told one of their Legal team members to reach out to me. Diane said that she would help me. I asked her - I'm in, and she said she was too! I sent her over my info, and spent a couple days emailing her, but then no response. I asked for the counter-signature on the engagement agreement, and they dropped me. I lost days trying to work with them and just received a coward email reply to notify me. No call back or explanation. If you want someone you can trust and that will go to bat for you, go with someone else. I do not recommend! read more

BEWARE............BEWARE............BEWARE............ I was dealing with Stephanie Sanchez, Paralegal. She was going to honor a previously quoted on 4/25/17 price of $595 on a Friday early afternoon for that day and I told her I needed to talk it over with my wife. She had extended her offer until Monday 9/18/17. During the weekend we had a death in the family and time slipped by. I sent Stephanie an e-mail (5 days later) on 9/23/17 and received a reply e-mail on 9/25/17 stating "Unfortunately, we are not able to extend the $595 total fee promotion. Please let us know if you wish to move forward for the total fee of $1,095.00." Wow, almost Double the Price!!!!! Are you kidding me........ It left a horribly sour taste in my mouth. It's unfortunate since we really wanted move forward of getting a Living Trust done since I read so many good reviews on Yelp. I don't know if these are a group of people you want them to do your Living Trust unless Stephanie was possibly one of their "bad apple" who is not consistent with their company culture. Stephanie, used a heavy pressure tactic stating the Sale ended the day I sent a quick chat on their website. Even though I received that promotion from 4/25/17. She would of been better saying sorry the sale ended rather then telling me I need to make the decision right away. Extreme High Pressure!!!! Is this the Law Firm you want them to do your Living Trust? **********You Been.....WARNED******** read more

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My dad passed away unexpectedly last year and our family were in need of creating a Living Trust. After spending countless hours figuring out which company to choose, I'm glad we went with Vaksman Khalfin. They were very patience and professional. Since this was my first time dealing with a Living Trust, I had a million questions via email, phone calls and in person. Not only did they answer my questions with easy-to-understand solutions, they also gave me excellent advice considering I had siblings and it could get messy in a hurry and down the road if anything happened to my mom. Fast forward, the Living Trust is in place and our family feels financially secure with assets protected, knowing that Vaksman Khalfin helped us from start to finish. Thank you! From The Dear Family read more

We had a very good experience getting our living trust, will, healthcare directives, etc. etc. done in the fixed fee package. The process was very streamlined, end to end. Also I had a few questions for Alan that he answered by phone. The appeal of a high quality, fixed fee set of estate planning docs is very high. Vaksman delivered. I'm not a lawyer, but in skimming through the agreements they appear to be extremely thorough. And when you think about it, how different are trusts for most people? Maybe 10% unique, tops? I don't pay the premium for my clothes to be custom made from scratch on retainer; I don't see a trust as being different. I know, the old school lawyers hate the fixed fee model and will claim it isn't any good, your documents will be junk. etc. Well, welcome to the new world of business models for the legal profession. I'd add too that my hunch is that for Vaksman's business model to work, their agreements have to be even MORE bullet-proof than "bespoke" ones. I'd challenge any lawyer who says otherwise to show me the deficiencies in Vaksman's documents, or process. One tip is that you need to pick your trust notary/signing date to be at least 4 weeks out from when you submit your info to them. So if you need it for an upcoming real estate deal, then be proactive. Although even if you're late, you can always just deed the property to your trust later, and that's not a huge deal. Also know that you have to get the documents notarized on a specific day, and not a day later or earlier, so plan ahead. Another tip is that some banks will notarize your documents for free if you have an account with them. First Republic Bank was fantastic for us in that regard. read more

After dealing with the estate planner my father used for his living trust and it costing more than $5000.00 I was concerned, my wife and I needed to set up a trust but did not want to spend this much money. After finding Vaksman Law Offices online and checking them out, I had them do our trust which included 2 properties (same scenario as my father) for a total cost of $895.00 and it is every bit as good as the one my father had done. The only difference I could see was that our trust came to use via email and I printed it and put it in a binder, my fathers came printed and in a binder, this difference is not worth over $4000.00. We are extremely happy with the work Vaksman Law Offices did on our trust, I have already recommended them to 2 different people I know and will continue to recommend them to others. read more

This firm deserves the great reviews. Vaksman handled my trust package as advertised and delivered it as promised. Could not have been smoother. And the price was very attractive compared with quotes we received from several other trust lawyers. Going forward, the law firm might want to consider leaving the signing dates open, to be entered by the notary at the signing. In the event our notary had failed to show up on the assigned day, we would have needed re-drawn and freshly printed documents at added expense. We spoke with Alan during the initial setup and he was exceptionally clear and helpful. A superb experience with no confusing legal-speak. We highly recommend Vaksman Law. read more

Vaksman Law Offices provided thoughtful and thorough estate planning services with prompt turn-around at a great price point. Alan and Robert are perhaps the friendliest, most efficiently communicative attorneys I have ever encountered. Alan was wonderfully patient with my rookie questions as well. I feel so at ease now having deliberated over the tough questions with such a professional yet unintimidating team. I would utilize their services again in the future and highly recommend them. read more

I found Alan and Vaksman Law Offices on Yelp, and could hardly believe all their 5 star reviews. After a year+ of working with them on my Estate Planning (the delays were all mine), I can vouch that Alan and his team are fantastic to work with. They're efficient and on top of their game. Alan is very knowledgable and always willing to answer questions, explore options and explain legal concepts to me. It took me a long time to get my act together and create a solid plan for my family, but I am so glad I did. And I am really pleased to have chosen Alan and his team: they made the process so easy. BTW: no one asked me to review Vaksman on Yelp. I'm just glad to add another positive review to those that helped me connect with Alan and Vaksman in the first place. read more

5 stars: 08-08-17 This firm is a breathe of fresh air. From Stephanie to Mr. Khalfin, I am thoroughly impressed by the way they have treated me with my questions about correcting a Living Trust. Mr. Khalfin is down-to-earth/easy to talk to, yet sharp as a whistle. He knew exactly what to do, provided very sound counsel, and was not pushy. Comparatively, their cost is very reasonable as well. Also, Mr. Khalfin is a (fellow) Bruin, so he's from the right cloth already! Go Bruins!! I highly recommend Vaksman Khalfin. read more

The Burlingame law firm Vaksman Khalfin just completed my Estate Plan. From my first conversation with Elizabeth to the arrangements with Marian and the final meeting with Alan Khalfin, it was a breeze. My estate probably isn't all that unusual, but it has some quirks, and the expert guidance I received made a big difference. They made the entire process extremely easy and responded quickly to all my questions and concerns. I could not be happier with the final result. Thank you, Vaksman Khalfin! read more

For many years, my husband and I wanted to get our estate plan done. About 2 years ago, we were planning to go with a firm, based on friends and family's recommendations and the reasonable pricing; however, we were too busy and never got around to it. Fortunately, we waited because we found out through family members that the original attorney did not do a good job afterall and they had to redo their Trust with someone else. Costing them their time and more money. We decided to get this done as soon as possible, so we met and spoke to several attorneys to decide who was the best one to work with. I called Vaksman Khalfin and spoke with Stephanie, who is a paralegal. She answered our questions patiently and you can tell she knew her stuff. We scheduled our complimentary call with Alan Khalfin, who is very nice and explained everything easily enough for me to understand. My husband and I knew that we found the best firm and went with them. Alan and his wonderful team, consisting of Stephanie, Monica, and Brian, made the process as seamless as possible. We got everything done within three weeks! They reached out to us and provided updates as we went along. Their pricing is extremely reasonable for what they offer, which is a lot. Definitely recommend them! read more

The service was excellent and the staff was very helpful. I highly recommend them for services. One down side of that building is that it's fairly old and does not have an elevator as they are located on the 2nd floor, but they have no problem with setting up something to work with you downstairs. Other than that, they are great people to work with! read more

Excellent price and service from Vaksman Khalfin! As a managing partner of SoCal premiere discount brokerage http://itz-sold.com , I was looking for a trustworthy and inexpensive Living trust attorneys. I'm pleasantly surprised with depth of knowledge and patience of Stephanie Sanchez, my initial contact. She took her time explaining all nuances of the trust creation! I highly recommend them! read more

I'm completely satisfied with my experience in regards to the Living Trust and Will that Alan and his team prepared for me. I put off setting up a Living Trust for at least a year because I thought it would be a time-consuming and painful endeavor. I was completely wrong. I spoke with Monica on the phone and she was really helpful in explaining how the fee schedule and what I should expect. Alan was a pleasure to deal with. He established my Living Trust without a hitch, quickly responded to my e-mails, and had all the paperwork organized. All I had to do was follow his instructions on signing the forms, print out the documents, and start funding my trust. I liked how he explained things in layman's terms and was patient in his exchanges with me as this was my first time. I should also mention that his charge for establishing a Living Trust is upfront and fair. I would definitely contact him again for assistance with my Living Trust or other legal services. I enthusiastically recommend him to family and friends! Thank You Alan and Monica! read more

Let me tell you this.. Spencer Young has the most gracious knowledgeable minds in the business!!! They are willing to give of their time and lend their expertise over the phone without asking so much as a simple thank you even though I offered to pay for the advice or pay for lunch. So to Ehud Apple I say sincerely, thanks!! read more

I would highly recommend Vaksman Khalfin to anyone looking for expert Legal services. We recently completed an entire Estate Plan including trust prepared by Alan and his team. I would consider their service and focus on clients outstanding throughout the process. I spoke with several law firms initially when selecting a firm to prepare our estate plan and trust and decided to proceed with Vaksman Khalfin because of their excellent client service and professionalism. From the outset Stephanie was extremely helpful in coordinating and scheduling our initial meeting with Alan and Monica and our subsequent communication throughout the process. During our initial meeting Alan was extremely helpful and knowledgeable in explaining the various aspects of the plan and trust we wanted to have prepared and incorporating our needs. Alan provided a very precise and realistic timeframe for preparing our documents which they were able to complete even sooner. They have a highly efficient process for providing all the necessary information to draft all the documentation. Given our preference for using technology to provide and complete information we found it to be extremely helpful, time saving, informative and efficient. Not to mention it provided us a lot of flexibility in completing the information required to prepare the large number of documents. They were able to complete a lot of the documentation without having to rely on our needing to complete paperwork manually, which for a legal firm in today's day and age is quite an accomplishment and something I would expect from successful firm's doing business in the Peninsula. They subsequently followed up with a draft of our Estate Plan for our review. They were very responsive to a few questions we had in the draft and made the necessary changes in a very timely manner. We then met with them today to complete and execute the Estate plan and trust. The meeting was highly efficient with all the documentation having been prepared prior to our arrival and we were able to execute a large number of documents in a very short amount of time due to their advanced preparation and experience in estate planning and trusts. We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant experience from start to finish. In terms of fees, they are very reasonable compared with attorney's in San Francisco and Burlingame. Of the half a dozen firms I contacted the fees charged by Vaksman Khalfin were on average 30-40% less than those of other attorneys in San Francisco and Burlingame for the exact same service. We are very pleased to have found Vaksman Khalfin and will utilize their firm for all our future legal needs. I am glad to be able to add to all the highly positive reviews they've received, they're well deserved. read more

Had a very good experience. All my questions were answered quickly and it was seamless. The main reason people putoff estate planning is the hassle of finding a good lawyer, travelling there, appointment...etc With Vaksman, everything is online and phone so its convenient and people who have been procrastinating estate planning finally get it done ( like me :-) read more

Wow, I rolled the dice finding this contact through Google search, but boy did I get a good roll! I was contacted quickly and professionally and talked to Alan who helped answer all my questions about getting our living trust taken care of....it was such a relief to see how easy he made it, and worth every penny! I highly recommend Alan and this company because they are update to date in every way! Thanks again Alan! read more

Great attorneys. I spent quite a bit of time picking their brain on the phone, and one of the attorneys ( Alan ) was extremely patient and answered all my questions. Highly recommended. read more

I would like to thank Vaksman Law for once again assisting and guiding me with my family's living trust. I originally created it in 2006 in NY with Robert Vaksman's assistance. Robert was very knowledgeable and comfortably steered me into the proper setup. Well times have changed over the years and i just recently concluded the complete overhaul of my trust to now include a new child and also a few businesses. Having the ability to answer and submit the majority of my information online was no different than being face to face in the office last time...only easier. What could not be done online was covered verbally and i was usually contacted within a few hours of each email to answer my questions and keep things moving. All of my concerns have been competently addressed and are now covered in the layers of entities we had to create for the updated trust. Robert congratulations on your ever expanding practice and thank you kindly once again for your assistance. Will be in touch. "JR" read more

Agreed with several other reviews, no wonder why they have so many 5 stars. Great people to work with. Very seamless, easy process. They are extremely quick to respond to emails and phone calls and take the time to explain complex legal matters. Very reasonable price too for estate planning services compared to other quotes I received and heard about. Highly recommended. read more

Great experience in all regards working with Vaksman. Was looking to establish a will, living trust, and associated docs. The service I received was exceptional - knowledgeable, prompt, professional - and at a reasonable price. Alan was extremely easy to work with throughout, from the initial phone call to fielding wrap-up questions after all the docs were in place. Would have done this years ago if I'd known how painless it would be. I will definitely be back for future legal services. Highly recommended. read more

After procrastinating for a while, we finally pulled the trigger on our living trust. Vaksman Law is well worth all the 5 star reviews. Price is fair, all questions answered easily via email and phone. Even the notary said "wow, your attorney did a great job!" Recommending Vaksman Law Offices to friends and family for sure. read more

Awesome guys! They walked us thru everything we needed to know in order to get our trust established and have helped with questions since. Highly recommend. read more

Remarkable, detailed trust and exceptional service for a tiny fraction of the cost others have quoted. Our bank told us it was the most through trust they have seen in years! Knowledgable, friendly and responsive are the three top words I would apply read more

I am very pleased with the estate planning services that I received from Vaksman Law. Alan and his team patiently walked me through the process, answered each of my many questions very quickly and thoroughly, and delivered a quality living trust estate plan at a very reasonable price. It was a pleasure doing business with them. It was a great convenience to me that the entire process was done online and over the phone. read more

Five Star Service! I was impressed and fascinated by the business model in use here. Efficiency and technology are likely why their fees are so reasonable and the customer has full-service in person OR online electronic options to get their Living Trust and Estate Plan created and signed. The staff and attorneys are all top-drawer, from phone calls to emails to online chat and in person meetings. Mine was fairly simple, and yet I'd put off getting it done for years. Now I can rest assured that should anything unforeseen happen to me, my loved ones can avoid Probate and have the powers they need to care for me or settle my estate. If you have assets, YOU NEED A TRUST. Don't put it off, or the State of California could really mess up all you've worked for. I will recommend this firm to everyone I know. read more

From Monica to Alan D. Khalfin, the attorney who very timely helped me with answering several questions, the process for getting personal legal matters handled went far easier than expected. I would definitely return whenever I need legal help in the future. read more

We are very satisfied for the excellent and professional service that Alan at Vaksman Law provided for us. He was very patient and answered all of our questions rather quickly through email and phone. Anyone who wish to establish a living trust, we highly recommend them and the price is very reasonable. read more

I can't say enough about my experience with Vaksman Law Office! I live in Florida and was looking to hire a firm out in California to handle my dad's trust. I came across this firm on the internet and was very impressed by the reviews of past clients and the fact that their fee was set as a package and they did not bill for every phone call and email answered like most law firms do. I know this from personal experience because I work at a law firm in Tampa and lets just say that some firms do not operate in such a way.This was especially important to me because my firm does not practice in the area of estates and I knew that I would have many questions and so would my dad and I did not want him to be billed for each one. We were immediately contacted by Monica Bussey who is a paralegal for Alan and handled the initial intake of all of my dads estate. She answered all of our questions in a timely manner and in explained things to us in "non legal talk" . After all of our questions were answered thoroughly, they sent my father all of his documents with very thorough instructions to complete. My dad felt comfortable throughout they entire process and did not feel overwhelmed which made me extremely happy as his daughter. Once the trust was complete, I thought of a few questions and emailed Monica and Alan. Alan called me directly that very day and was extremely helpful. I have been in contact with him through email to ask questions here and there and he is always prompt and courteous and never makes me feel like my questions are annoying or ignorant. I know many attorneys that once your file is closed and your fee is paid, it is impossible to get a call back or email from them and that can be extremely frustrating for someone that really only needs five minutes of their time. If you are considering hiring a firm to do your estate planning or looking for a loved one, you will not be disappointed with this firm! Constance V. read more

I would like to thanks VAKSMAN LAW OFFICE especially Atty. Alan and Monica who help me thru my Real Estate Will and my Living Trust. Alan was patiently following up on me to start my service with a very reasonable price. The quality of legal service was the best ever very professional and easy to follow and understand. I am glad that I choose their service. I will highly Recommend to all my friends and family and definitely hire them again for any legal service in the future Thank you very much and More Power... read more

They answered all my questions quickly. Very quick to reply back. Thorough in their work. Very happy.

Thank you so much for the thorough legal advice, the attorneys at Vaksman were incredibly helpful and they took the time to go over the details of a contract with me. It's definitely reassuring to know I got sound legal advice. Highly recommended! read more