ESTATE PLANNING
A plan for the business and the family, written together.
Most estate plans don’t account for the business. Most business succession plans don’t account for the family. Chrystal Law handles both, because the two conversations can’t be separated if the plan is going to hold.
Estate planning for owners, families, and the people behind closely-held companies.
We work with business owners, founders, family companies, and high-net-worth families in the greater Sacramento region who want an estate plan that actually integrates the company, and who want the same attorney drafting both sides of that plan.
What we handle
Core estate planning documents
- Wills
- Revocable living trusts
- Irrevocable trusts
- Pour-over wills
Powers and directives
- Durable power of attorney (financial)
- Healthcare power of attorney
- Advance health care directive
- HIPAA authorizations
Business-integrated planning
- Business succession integrated with estate plan
- Buy-sell agreements coordinated with trust structure
- Family limited partnerships
- ESOP feasibility in the succession context
- Multi-generation transfer planning
Charitable and tax planning
- Charitable remainder trusts
- Charitable lead trusts
- Gift planning and annual exclusion strategy
- Generation-skipping transfer planning
Incapacity planning
- Guardianship designations
- Trustee succession planning
- Disability buy-out provisions
Why it matters that one attorney does both.
When one attorney drafts both the trust and the buy-sell, he reads them together before anyone signs. The plan holds together because it was built together.
Questions families and business owners ask
I have a will. Is that enough?
A will is a starting point. For most business owners it is not enough on its own. A revocable living trust avoids probate, passes assets faster, and keeps the plan private.
How does my business factor into my estate plan?
Your business is probably your largest asset. Who inherits your ownership interest? Do partners have the right to buy out your heirs? Is your buy-sell agreement coordinated with your trust?