Planning for the Future
A good estate plan not only determines who will receive your assets when you are gone, it can also dictate which assets your beneficiaries will receive and the manner in which they will receive them. A good estate plan is robust, flexible, and cost effective. It will take into account your family and financial situation, ensuring that your specific goals—financial protection for loved ones, provisions for a child with special needs, or bequests to charity—are achieved in a timely and efficient manner. As your goals change, your estate plan should change too.
I will meet with you to discuss and evaluate your particular situation and to present you with various options to accomplish your objectives. Because you must understand your estate plan, a big part of my job is educating you about the relative strengths and weaknesses of each option so that you can make a conscientious and informed decision.
Contact
➤ LOCATION
900 Lafayette St., Ste. 607
Santa Clara, CA 95050
☎ CONTACT
TPG@TPGlawfirm.com
(408) 286-3775
Areas of Practice
Estate Planning
In California, the primary estate planning vehicle is a living trust. But a comprehensive estate plan also includes documents that will allow someone to care for you and handle your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. In addition to drafting trusts that manage the disposition of a client’s estate upon his or her passing, I also prepare documents that (1) transfer real property to the trust; (2) help clients fund their trust with personal property; and (3) appoint agents to make health care and financial decisions for clients in situations where they are unable to make those decisions for themselves.
Conservatorships
I work with clients to establish conservatorships for loved ones who cannot properly care for their themselves or their property. Acting as a conservator can be a time consuming, tedious, and stressful experience, but it can have profound consequences for the person who has been conserved.
trust administration
When a person who has set up a trust eventually dies, a successor trustee will step in to handle the administration of the trust. The successor trustee may need to send notices and pay creditors, and he or she must keep beneficiaries informed of the management of the trust estate. Oftentimes, the successor trustee must retitle or transfer assets, and deal with issues relating to income, gift, and real property tax. Each trust administration presents its own challenges. I represent trustees in their administration of the trust, ensuring that they comply with California law and faithfully carry out their fiduciary duties.
giftING and irrevocable trusts
For tax reasons or for personal reasons, clients may want to gift or transfer assets while they are still alive. These gifts can be outright or in trust. I work with clients to determine their specific goals and to prepare a tailored plan to achieve those goals while minimizing transfer taxes.
Probate Administration
Generally, when someone dies in California without having set up a trust, his or estate must pass through probate. Probate is a court process governed by the California Probate Code whereby the state appoints a personal representative to handle and ultimately transfer a decedent’s estate to the estate’s heirs or beneficiaries. I represent personal representatives by helping them navigate the probate process.
beneficiary representation
Beneficiaries of probate estates and trusts have rights. I educate clients who are beneficiaries as to what their rights are and, if necessary, I help them exercise those rights to protect their interests in the estate.
Christopher M. Gee
After graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law and passing the bar in 2014, I worked for three years at a boutique estate planning law firm in San Jose that provided services to high net worth clients located throughout California. In 2019, I started my own estate planning practice. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids.
Education
Santa Clara University School of Law
Juris Doctor, 2014
University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., English, 2006
Inquiries
Use the form below to set up an appointment. You may also call me or email me directly.