Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Sandra Shrader
Special to the Village News
When it comes to your estate, whether it includes mansions, money in the bank, or your collection of mint-condition comic books, the oft-repeated axiom of "You can’t take it with you when you die" is true.
That is why, according to Fallbrook attorney and estate planning advisor James C. Alvord, having a will or trust is important to ensure that what you have is left to those you wish to be your heirs.
"In nearly 20 years of practice in Fallbrook, I’ve helped hundreds of families create an orderly plan for their future years," said Alvord, who is known locally as "Fallbrook’s friendly lawyer with friendly fees."
"Through the use of customized legal documents like wills and living trusts, we help our clients save money, avoid probate, reduce taxes, and reduce anxiety over what will happen to their families in the future."
However, estate planning, according to Alvord, whose law office is located at 405 South Main Ave. in Fallbrook, can be more than just designating your heirs and the distribution of your assets. It can also be a guide for naming guardians for minor children and for health care decisions should you become disabled before you die.
"We also take care of health care planning though legal documents to insure that our clients’ feelings about medical decisions are followed, and costs are controlled as much as possible," Alvord said.
"We do all this with a customized family trust package which I’ve designed that details all the client’s wishes and keeps their families out of court while avoiding the costly probate process," he explained, referring to the court-administered process of transferring legal title of property to beneficiaries.
The trust package includes a will, health care documents, directives to successors, new deeds for properties, the formal creation of the trust, final arrangement instructions, amendment forms and other documents necessary for an orderly and cost-effective distribution of assets – "all prepared and executed by a licensed California attorney," said Alvord.
But estate planning doesn’t have to cost a fortune to keep a fortune.
"It’s not that expensive," he said. "Most family trusts cost less than a thousand dollars, and a single-person trust may cost as little as $700 or even less. And that includes the initial consultation, recording and witness fees, notary costs and all other expenses."
In addition to estate planning, Alvord offers family law service, and provides legal advice and representation for clients who need help with prenuptial agreements, restraining orders, marital agreements, legal separations, marriage dissolutions, paternity actions child support and visitation issues.
With a two-decade career in journalism prior to his present longtime avocation as an attorney since 1990, Alvord, who moved to Fallbrook in 1997, knows the meaning of both the law and the word.
"I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with at degree in journalism, and then worked as an editor for newspapers in Chicago and San Diego," he said, adding that after he moved to Southern California, he served as executive editor for Sentinel/Star News Publications and the La Jolla Light.
But it was his wife Valerie who got him started into the legal profession.
"For Christmas in 1987, my wife gave me a book about how
to prepare for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test)," Alvord, who is also a Civil War and WWII history buff, recalled. "I took the test, and I realized that it was fun! That was when I decided to leave the newspaper business and get my law degree. And practicing law and estate planning is still as rewarding for me today."
James C. Alvord’s law office is located at 405 South Main Ave., Suite B, in Fallbrook. For more information or to inquire about free consultations, call (760) 728-1960 or email [email protected].
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