Wills, Trusts & Estates

Everyone needs some type of estate plan whether they are single, married, divorced or in a domestic relationship. I want to work with clients to help them plan their estates to provide for themselves or their loved ones in the event of disability or an untimely death. Part of the estate planning process, in addition to preparing Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney and other documents, is identifying clients who need to apply for Medi-Cal coverage or who may need to establish a conservatorship for a parent, sibling or spouse due to loss of mental and/or physical capacity. I also vigorously advocate for those clients who may be victims of elder abuse or who do not need to be conserved.

• Estate Taxes & Gift Taxes
• Power of Attorney

• Charitable Giving
• Drafting Trusts
• Drafting Wills
• Estate Administration
• Estate Planning
• Living Trusts
• Probate

CA, Jan 1995
Bar Number: 175811

One of our partners is a Certified Specialist, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

California Supreme Court and United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

I am a member of the State Bar of California, and the Silicon Valley Bar Association, of which I am the current Chair of the Executive Committee and past Education Chair, Trusts and Estates Section.

I consistently have more than the Minimum Continuing Legal Education credits than are required; some of those MCLE credits are earned by giving seminars to other attorneys. I concentrate on courses that are specific to my practice and that will help qualify me as a Certified Specialist, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

We publish our own newsletter. We author the articles ourselves with the goal of notifying our clients of current trends and changes in the law that we believe affect them.

Every estate plan I prepare is unique to the individual(s) because no two family situations are alike.

For a young couple with minor children, I prepared documents that protect them and their young children but also give consideration to their need to provide for elderly parents who rely on them for certain needs. We also addressed specific requests they had for their children's educational, religious and summer vacation needs.

For a single man whose only daughter lives in London, I tailored his estate plan to ensure he is cared for should he need assistance. I facilitated introductions to local professional fiduciaries, care providers and physicians in anticipation of needs he may have in the future.

For an unmarried couple who had been partners for almost 40 years, I reviewed the public benefits one of the partners was receiving and the assets they both had and determined that a basic estate plan was not enough to protect them. It turned out the benefit of registering as domestic partners was invaluable to defer state Medi-Cal recovery at the first death.

For a widow whose daughter signed on her bank accounts and was using the money for her own benefit and not her mother's, including refusing to allow her mother to be treated for cancer, utilizing court intervention I successfully had control of widow's money transferred from the abusive daughter to herself and her son.

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California

Our underlying philosophy is to prevent crises. We believe it is better for our clients and their loved ones to try to resolve issues by reasonable discussion and cooperation than in an adversarial court of law.

Kramer Radin, LLP, is a full service team of legal experts who strive to prevent family crises, preserve our clients' wealth, minimize their taxes and be their staunch advocate in the event of a legal dispute.

Our estate planning and tax team focuses on the preparation of trusts, wills and other estate planning vehicles including planned gifting, as well as the administration of estates through probate or trust administration. We encourage our clients to plan their estates wisely in order to protect their assets from unnecessary legal and tax expenses.

Our experienced litigation team has addressed legal issues ranging from family dispute resolution to real estate and employment matters. Medi-Cal planning, conservatorships and prevention of elder abuse are among the elder law issues that we have undertaken on behalf of our clients.

Our goal is to provide quality legal services to our clients and their loved ones. Our creative strategies can provide continuity of management of an estate in the event of an untimely death or incapacity.

Prior to becoming part of Kramer Radin, LLP, in 1997, I practiced law in Washington, DC, in the areas of elder law, estate planning, taxation and corporate law.

I love that my job compliments my life as a mother. I have been a youth soccer coach for 6 years and spend a lot of time in my children's school. As a family we regularly prepare and bring meals when we visit with needy elders in our community.

Jean Machado

(650) 949-5648

Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Yes

None

Campbell, CA
1475 S. Bascom Avenue
Suite 204
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 377-7845

Generally we charge a fixed fee for trusts, wills and similar estate planning documents.

$325 - $350 per hour.

We offer a free initial consultation for estate planning that usually lasts about an hour. I want potential clients to feel comfortable as we get to know each other.

For fixed fee matters, our advance payment is one half of the total fee. For hourly matters, our advance payment is what we estimate will be a monthly billing.