Estate Planning

I prefer to work with clients who are committed to leaving this world better than they found it--for their families and the community.

CA, Dec 1982
Bar Number: 104616

All California Courts, and the 9th Circuit Federal Court.

Board of Directors, Redwood Empire Estate Planning Council (Santa Rosa), National Association of Estate Planning Councils, International Association of Collaborative Professionals, Collaborative Professionals of California, Board of Directors, Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire (Sonoma County), Sonoma County Bar Association, Professional Advisory Group to the Community Foundation of Sonoma County.

I usually take 30 to 40 hours of continuing education every year. As a pioneer in the use of collaborative dispute resolution in the estates and trusts arena, I have presented several talks and seminars on this area over the past few years.

In April of 2008, I presented a seminar on collaborative dispute resolution in an estate and trust matter. Materials for the seminar were published by the Collaborative Practice California Group.

I work with all kinds of families. I recently helped a couple on their second marriage set up an estate plan that provided for their separate children, step-children, and grandchildren of all kinds. I encourage parents to talk to their children (when appropriate) about what the parents want to achieve with their estate plan.

I have worked with many families who have a disabled family member whose assets need to be protected with a Special Needs Trust.

For people who wish to make charitable gifts, I help them figure out how to make the gifts in a tax-efficient manner that allows them input into how their gift is used.

5

California

Located at the Collaborative Practice Center in Santa Rosa, Conner, Lawrence & Rodney is the leading firm in Sonoma County that focuses on achieving our clients' goals in a respectful, supportive, courteous and honorable fashion. Three of our five attorneys offer litigation services to our clients. All of our attorneys offer a complete range of problem-solving strategies, especially mediation and Collaborative Practice. We focus on Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills, post-death estate administration, and all types of Family Law.

Conner, Lawrence & Rodney was founded in 1983 by Catherine Conner. She was joined in 1984 by Marjorie Slabach (now a San Francisco Commissioner). I joined them in 1985 and Amy Rodney in 1989. We have been told by clients that we are a truly different kind of law firm because we really listen to our clients and work hard to avoid litigation. Our goal is to create "win-win" solutions that resolve existing disputes and avoid future disputes by careful planning.

I have been a partner at Conner, Lawrence & Rodney in Santa Rosa since 1985. Before my legal career, I waited tables, sold books, ran a college dormitory, worked in a library, and been a camp counselor.

20 years as volunteer for the Sonoma County Courts; Over 20 years providing volunteer legal services to seniors at the Santa Rosa Senior Center and the Rohnert Park Senior Center. I have been working for over three years with a team to create protocols for using Collaborative Practice in estates and trusts disputes.

Joanne Richard at (707) 523-0480 ext. 126.

(707) 523-2937

Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Early morning appointments available.

No

I usually charge a flat fee for estate plans. In 2009, most of these were in the $1,800 to $2,200 range. I give a firm quote at the end of my first meeting with a client.

$300 per hour.

Free half hour estate planning consultation. Not applicable for trust administrations, will contests, or other matters.

In flat fee matters, I ask for one-half of the flat fee up front. For hourly cases, I require at least a fifteen hundred dollar retainer unless the matter is very small and brief.