At Driscoll Anderson Reynard LLP, we understand that managing and passing down assets through trusts, wills, and the probate process can be complex and challenging. Our experienced attorneys are here to help you navigate this intricate legal landscape, ensuring your wishes are honored and your assets are protected. We handle issues like undue influence, duress, and mental capacity concerns, and provide guidance to avoid disputes and litigation. Whether you’re dealing with trust management, estate administration, or defending against claims, our team is dedicated to providing the support and expertise you need. Let us help you secure your family’s future and achieve peace of mind.
Planning, protecting, preserving your legal interest
Prepare for the future and protect what matters most. Whether you’re a business owner seeking legal counsel, a family member looking to safeguard your loved ones’ assets, or an individual facing a legal dispute, our team of seasoned attorneys is here to help. Driscoll Anderson Reynard LLP specializes in the following practice areas:
- Estate & Probate
- Business Law
- Real Estate Law
- Litigation
30+
Years of combined experience
500+
Clients served
Millions
Of dollars saved for our clients
Introduction
Trust & Estate Litigation Attorneys Serving All of Southern California
Driscoll Anderson Reynard LLP trust and estate attorneys represent trustees, beneficiaries, and heirs throughout Southern California, including San Diego, Carlsbad, Irvine, and Laguna Beach. We are here to help protect & empower your future. Our firm’s trust litigation team specializes in the following areas:
- Trust, Estate, & Probate Litigation
- Contested Wills & Estates
- Contested Trusts
- Trustee Defense
- Trustee Breach of Duty Litigation
- Abused Beneficiary Rights Litigation
- Trust, Estate & Probate Appeals
Whether you're facing a complex trust dispute, need defense against trustee breach claims, or require assistance with contested wills and estates, our experienced attorneys at Driscoll Anderson Reynard LLP are here to provide the expert guidance and representation you need. Protect your rights and secure your future with our dedicated trust and estate litigation services.
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Our Recognitions
Why choose us?
Qualified Legal Advice: We are humbled to be recognized by multiple magazines and organizations. Not only were the Driscoll Anderson Reynard attorneys recognized by San Diego Magazine for their excellence, but our firm has also garnered the highest rating by one of the oldest legal resources in the nation, Martindale-Hubbell, founded in 1868.
Highest-Rating
By Martindale-Hubbelm Founded In 1869
Excellence Recognition
By San Diego Business Journal
Results-focused approach
With extensive experience and a proven track record of success
"Like branches on a tree, our lives may grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one. The flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today. Learn from yesterday, live for today, plan for tomorrow.”
Practice Areas
Legal servicewe provide
Estate planning
At Driscoll Anderson Reynard LLP, we understand that your legacy is important to you. That’s why we offer comprehensive estate planning services to ensure that your wealth is managed during your lifetime and distributed according to your wishes after your death. Our experienced attorneys will guide you through every step of the process, from drafting trusts and wills to establishing powers of attorney and healthcare directives. We’ll help you create a plan that includes all your assets—real estate, business interests, investments, and personal property—while minimizing taxes and avoiding probate. Our goal is to protect your estate and provide peace of mind for you and your family.
Having a well-drafted estate plan in place will ensure that your estate passes to whom you want, when you want, and is carried out in the manner you’ve chosen. You can rest assured that your family won’t have to endure the public process and costly matter of probate. A properly structured plan will minimize estate taxes and administration fees while protecting your estate from complexity and confusion.
Preserve your legacy and ensure a bright future for your loved ones.
Business Law
Business Planning, Estate Planning, and the inevitable “Asset Protection”
Business law covers essential aspects like business planning, estate planning, and asset protection to ensure your success and financial security. We use tools like Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs) and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) to manage and protect your assets, offering benefits like tax reduction, liability protection, and smooth ownership transitions. FLPs help centralize management and facilitate ownership transfer to heirs, while LLCs provide tax flexibility and protect members from personal liability. We also use Buy-Sell Agreements and strategies to safeguard your business interests and personal assets, ensuring long-term stability and minimizing risks.
Set your business up for success.
Real Estate Law
Our real estate law services cover both residential and commercial transactions, providing valuable advice to help you avoid common pitfalls and protect your assets. By involving us early in the planning stages, we can structure transactions to minimize risks and prevent future legal disputes. We use various legal tools to shield your assets from potential creditors and litigation, ensuring your investments are secure. Our goal is to protect you from the inefficiencies of litigation and help you achieve your real estate dreams without unnecessary complications.
Don’t miss out on your dream home or office!
Probate
Probate is the process of proving the validity of a will and administering a decedent’s estate within the local court system. In California, we have dedicated Probate Courts that manage estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships. These courts handle all probate-related matters, including litigation and petitions. If dealing with your family’s estate feels overwhelming, we’re here to help.
Is the legal battle over your family’s estate too much to handle?
Litigation
Our lawyers will also provide advice for trustees, executors and other fiduciaries on how best to fulfill and discharge their duties in an effort to minimize exposure to personal liability and reduce the potential for conflicts with beneficiaries and other parties.
Set your business up for success.
Charitable Planning
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We deliver quality legal service
We are humbled to be recognized by multiple magazine and organizations.
Looking for qualified, results-focused lawyers with extensive experience and a proven track record of success near you? Reach out to our team today.
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Meet our 3 new attorneys
Our team
Meet thedriscoll anderson reynard LLP attorneys
Steve M. Driscoll, Esq.
Steve M. Driscoll, Esq.
- Specializes in Estate and gift tax planning.
- Orange County Estate Planning Council.
- Member of the Orange County Bar Association, Estate Planning and Probate Section.
David C. Anderson, Retired
David C. Anderson, Retired
As a founding member of the law firm, David retired from the practice of law on March 31, 2024. David’s impact on our firm and on the community at large has been significant. Even though he has retired from the practice of law, he continues following his hobbies and is now enjoying his much deserved retirement. If you would like to reach Mr. Anderson, please email our firm at [email protected] so that we can send him your correspondence.
John S. Reynard III, Esq.
John S. Reynard III, Esq.
- Specializes in tax, business, estate, and trust law.
- Holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of San Diego and has a background in business management.
- Attended Stanford University, earning a B.A. in Psychology.
William D. Carey, Esq.
William D. Carey, Esq.
- Senior Litigation Attorney specializing in probate litigation.
- Extensive background in defending toxic mold litigation and representing cruise lines and shipping companies.
- Attended Miami University and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, active member of the San Diego Yacht Club.
Melanie Claassen Haire, Esq.
Melanie Claassen Haire, Esq.
- Specializes in Trust & Estate Planning.
- Practicing since 2012, admitted in California, New York, and Connecticut.
- From South Africa, raised in Arkansas, law school in New York, moved to San Diego in 2018.
Brian Helmuth, Esq
Brian Helmuth, Esq
- Specializes in estate planning for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners.
- Ocean Institute’s Professional Advisory Council (“PAC”)
- Holds a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and a B.A. in Business Economics and Accounting from UC Santa Barbara.
Monica Colonnier, Esq
Monica Colonnier, Esq
- Partner at Driscoll & Feder since 2004, focusing on estate planning and trust administration.
- J.D. from Willamette University College of Law, B.A. in History from Hanover College.
- Active member and volunteer at Placentia Presbyterian Church, serving as a Ruling Elder and on the Endowment and Gift Funds Committee.
Rhonda Moradzadeh, Esq
Rhonda Moradzadeh, Esq
- Specializes in Estate planning.
- Magna cum laude (UCLA) in Communication Studies and Political Science; earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School.
- Worked at Wells Fargo Bank’s Wealth Management Group for 10 years, advising high net worth clients on tax and estate planning, trust administration, estate settlement, and Special Needs Trusts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions answered
When is the Right Time to Create an Estate Plan?
The right time to create an estate plan is now. We do not have any guaranteed time here on earth, and you undoubtedly don’t want your assets to become a part of a big, tangled mess with the government after you’re gone. Ensure your loved ones are the ones able to control and manage your assets, exactly the way you want them to, with a custom estate plan from a San Diego and Orange County estate planning attorney.
Common Objections:
“I can do it later.”
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- Procrastination can lead to complications. Creating an estate plan now ensures that your wishes are documented and legally binding, providing peace of mind for you and your family.
Procrastination can lead to complications. Creating an estate plan now ensures that your wishes are documented and legally binding, providing peace of mind for you and your family
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How Can an Estate Planning Attorney Help?
An expert estate planning attorney at Driscoll Anderson Reynard LLP can assist you from start to finish with your custom estate plan. We can help you:
- Ensure Proper Transfer and Distribution: Make sure your wealth and assets are transferred and distributed according to your wishes.
- Maintain Control During Capacity Issues: Ensure control of your assets if you face capacity issues.
- Avoid Conservatorship Court Actions: Prevent the need for expensive and uncomfortable conservatorship court actions.
- Create Personal and Family Goals: Establish goals for your family and personal legacy after you’ve passed.
- Lessen Financial and Legal Burdens: Reduce the financial and legal burdens on your family.
- Reduce Court Costs, Fees, and Taxes: Minimize court costs, fees, and taxes for your family after you die.
- Educate on Document Options: Inform you about the various types of documents available and help you decide which is best for you.
- Designate Guardians and Heirs: Ensure you have documented who is designated as the guardian of any minor children, who your heirs are, and how your assets are distributed.
Common Objections:
“I can handle it myself.”
- While DIY estate planning tools are available, they often lack the personalized advice and legal expertise that an experienced attorney can provide. An attorney ensures that all legal requirements are met and that your plan is tailored to your specific needs and circumstances.
Is Estate Planning for You?
Since the term “estate” includes all the assets you own, such as your house, vehicle, other real estate, insurance, investments, etc., estate planning is for everyone – not just the wealthy, those with many costly properties, or those retired.
If you relate to just these two statements below, then estate planning with an estate planning attorney in Orange County and San Diego is for you:
- You think it’s important to ensure your assets are handled and distributed properly after you die or lose capacity, and that the right people receive the correct inheritances.
- You are concerned about reducing the taxes, fees, and any other costs put on your family after you die as much as possible.
Common Objections:
“I don’t have enough assets to need estate planning.”
- Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. It ensures that whatever assets you have, no matter the size, are distributed according to your wishes and can help avoid unnecessary legal complications for your loved ones.
“I’m too young to worry about estate planning.”
- Estate planning is important for adults of all ages. Life is unpredictable, and having a plan in place ensures your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected, regardless of your age.