Phone: 1 925 754-2000

Frequently Asked questions

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  • What is the difference between a will and a trust?


    • A will is a legal document that carries out your wishes upon death. Before your death, the will has no legal effect. The will only becomes effective upon death. Contrast that to a trust which can have effect upon execution and can continue to operate after your death. For example, if you want to leave money to your children a will takes effect upon death and will disperse your money at that time. Whereas, a trust can hold your money even after you die and disperse it to your children based on your wishes such as after they turn age 25. Additionally, a trust can help a person avoid probate which is usually desirable. There are other differences which are covered in our seminars.

  • What is probate?

    • A legal process where a person's estate is settled. Most people try and avoid probate for different reasons none the least of which is to avoid probate fees.


  • Is my estate too small for an Estate Plan?

    • Most people think you need to have millions of dollars in order to justify an estate plan. Any estate no matter the size should have a plan.  If you have a smaller estate then a will might suffice for your needs.  If you have more than $100,000 in assets the trust can help in avoiding probate. Moreover, if you want your estate to take care of your loved ones for a period of time after your death, instead of just dispersing all of the money and property a trust can accomplish this.  Finally the probate process can be lengthy which delays the dispersement of your estate to your loved ones, whereas a trust administration is usually much shorter in the order of months.


  • Who needs a will and or trust?

    • Anyone who has children should have an Estate Plan which would include a will and trust as well as other documents such as an advanced health care directive and power of attorney. These documents will ensure the person who you choose will take care of your kids. Moreover, these documents will tell that person how you want your kids taken care of financially.  Additionally, couples should have an Estate Plan in place so that there are no complications in your spouse receiving everything you want. Finally, individual people who have any amount of assets that they want to specify where they should go after death, should have a will and or trust. If you don't have a will and or trust a judge will decide who will get custody of your children and how your property is dispersed based on probate law. Probate law may not reflect your own plans.


  • Why is your firm different?

    •     1. You will work with an attorney from start to finish as opposed to a paralegal.
    •     2. All of your documents will be drafted by the attorney not a paralegal.
    •     3. We offer a Christian Will and Trust.
    •     4. We give 10% of our earned fees to charity.
    •     5. We offer discounts to pastoral staff to help take care of our spiritual leaders.

  • What’s the difference between a Christian will/trust and a non-Christian will/trust?

    • A Christian will and trust contains a testimonial section whereby the Christian client is able to impart their spiritual beliefs and values to their remaining loved ones upon their passing. This testimonial section provides a powerful opportunity for the deceased to speak to their loved ones one last time and serves as a final declaration of their living faith and hope for eternity.


  • Do you create non-Christian wills and trusts?

    • Yes. We are happy to create wills and trusts that don't contain a statement of faith.


  • When are your upcoming seminars?
  • Why do you feature charities?

    • Our core philosophy is to take what we are given and help out the community. We believe our clients have the same charitable beliefs. In order to help them carry these out we like to highlight charity's that we have personally worked with and personally support so that our clients can have the same opportunity.


  • What makes you different?

    • I focus solely on Estate Planning, whereas some attorneys practice several areas of law. By focusing only on one area of law I only attend continuing education classes that cover estate planning.  Contrast that to other attorneys who take the same amount of required training but must split their time between different areas of law.


  • Why don’t you practice other forms of law?

    • I believe to be good at something you need to focus on it and devote your time to it and not be distracted with other work.



Disclaimer - Matthew Hart is a licensed California Attorney.  The above information is offered for informational purposes only. The above information does not constitute legal advice nor does it establish an Attorney Client relationship. Please seek legal advice from a local attorney directly.
main | events | services | forms | faq | contact us LAW OFFICE OF MATTHEW HART © 2008.  Matthew Hart is a licensed California Attorney.  The information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not a final legal opinion.  This website does not constitute the establishment of an Attorney Client relationship.  Please seek a local attorney for legal opinions.