Probate Attorney Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County, CA
Law Office of Cynthia C. Sayegh
East Bay area's top trust & estate attorney
Facing probate alone? Don't risk it.
Going through probate alone can be a difficult, frustrating and confusing experience. Not only are you dealing with the loss of a loved one, you also must deal with disposal of assets, distributing to beneficiaries, working your way through a will filled with confusing legal language while still trying to manage you day-to-day in your own household and affairs. The entire process can be overwhelming and frightening. If this sounds like what you are dealing with today, contact probate attorney Cindy Sayegh in Walnut Creek.
The Law Office of Cynthia C. Sayegh offers estate planning, trust administration, and probate. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, our office serves clients throughout the East Bay and Greater Bay Area.
Cindy uses a unique blend of legal, tax, and financial expertise to provide her clients with practical solutions. She prides herself on her contemporary approach of providing efficient yet knowledgeable and high-quality legal service to each of her clients.
Our office offers the flexibility to accommodate your schedule, including evening appointments. We are able to meet with you socially distanced via telecomm for the time being.
Meet Cynthia C. Sayegh, Esq.
As an active member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, Cindy offers a unique view of probate law. She has also been rated as one of the Rising Stars by SuperLawyers.com. She is very involved in her local community and volunteers on the steering committee of Lamorinda Moms. Cindy spends her free time with her husband and two children. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law.
Cindy is proud to help families plan for their children and grandchildren while keeping the law, tax implications and elder issues in mind at all times. If a loved one has died and you are struggling with the probate process, or if you need to begin your own estate planning, contact the probate attorney in Walnut Creek, Cindy Sayegh. You can arrange for a no obligation consultation by calling (925) 945-8831 or fill out the easy online form today.
What is Probate?
Probate is a court-supervised process of confirming that a last will and testament is valid. The process also locates and determines assets that will be used to pay final bills, taxes and burial costs. Once those bills have been paid, any funds remaining are distributed to beneficiaries. In California, an administrator or executor are appointed to collect assets, pay the debts and distribute funds to beneficiaries. An administrator is appointed if the deceased did not have a will and an executor if there is a will.
Our Services
Cindy’s practice concentrates on estate planning, trust administration, and probate. She focuses on helping families plan for their children and grandchildren while taking into account tax implications as well as current elder law issues. Cindy also consults on transactional real estate and business matters as they interface with estate planning and trust administration.
Areas of Expertise:
Cindy Sayegh uses a unique blend of legal, tax and financial expertise and prides herself on using a contemporary approach to probate law.
Living Trusts
Real Estate & Business Matters Related to Estates and Trusts
Medical Directives
Trust Administration
Representation in Court in Probate Matters
Living Wills
Community Property Agreements
Power of Attorney
Tax Implications of Estates
Elder Law Issues
Certificate of Trust
Do I Need a Trust?
One of Cindy’s areas of expertise is setting up trusts. Too often, people think trusts are designed for wealthy people but they can also offer benefits to those who have minimal assets. If you have assets that are solely in your name and you become mentally disabled, for example, a revocable living trust could protect your assets. It is important to remember that a revocable living trust must contain provisions about your mental capacity as well as how you will be taken care of mentally, physically and financially if you become incapacitated.
If you are married and your estate exceeds the federal or your state’s estate tax exemption, you want to consider a revocable living trust to take advantage of tax benefits. Cindy can help you create a trust in order to maximize federal and state tax exemptions. A revocable living trust will also allow you to maximize the use of generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions. If this is not your first marriage, you and your spouse may have different beneficiaries. A revocable living trust will address stepchildren and grandchildren as well.
Guardianships
If you have minor children, they could be beneficiaries of your assets, including life insurance proceeds, IRAs, 401(k) or wrongful death settlements. If you and your spouse later divorce or if both of you die at the same time, you want to be sure the money your children inherit is protected. A guardianship is a court-supervised account that holds the funds until your child or children reach the age of 18. A revocable living trust could also be created which allow you to determine who the trustee will be. You can also dictate when the children receive the funds, holding them in trust until the child reaches 25 or 30 instead of 18.
