Looking for the best Living Trust attorneys in the Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, or Calabasas, California area?
Please consider our CunninghamLegal office in Westlake Village, headed by two popular and proven estate attorneys, Jeff Rosen and Janice Lee Shen. Jeff and Janice work with people throughout the Conejo Valley as they create Living Trusts, Wills, Powers-of-Attorney, and plan their estates.
Maintaining the Legacy of John Kohlbrand
In 2019, CunninghamLegal was honored to assume responsibility for the Law Offices of John Kohlbrand, formerly of Thousand Oaks. John practiced in the Conejo valley for the better part of 30 years before he retired, and we are humbled to continue his tradition of caring and service to the community.
Prior to the handoff, we embarked on a months-long transition with John to transfer his practice, along with his 2,000-plus client files, into the care of CunninghamLegal. Together, we reached out to all of John’s current and former clients to invite them to meet with us and to ensure they felt welcome to the firm. If you are a former Kohlbrand Law client and we missed each other on the first round, please contact our office so we can get to know each other.
We moved John Kohlbrand’s practice just down the street from his old address (3075 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Suite 103) to our CunninghamLegal offices at 4165 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Suite 145, Westlake Village, California—right at the intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Westlake Boulevard. Just like the old office, we offer free parking.
Trusted with the Clients of Diedre Wachbrit
When longtime Westlake Village attorney Diedre Wachbrit retired in 2012, she also entrusted us with her more than 3,000 estate planning clients.
Diedre had a highly active practice—caring for clients with special-needs children, helping with asset protection and life insurance planning, as well as general estate planning. After her retirement, we held well-received events for Diedre’s clients and their families. If you missed out on those events or need to follow up on your planning, please do reach out to our office directly.
You Really Do Need a Specialist
Whatever attorney you choose, I urge you to choose carefully.
Estate planning is a dynamic, ever-changing field that absolutely demands focused expertise. Often, lawyers handle estate plans as a small sideline, and just don’t have the time to keep up with ever-shifting California inheritance or “Death Tax” laws, and even less with federal inheritance tax shifts.
Inheritance law changes come frequently and dramatically, on everything from trusts to taxes to IRAs—believe me, I know. This year, for example, we experienced the upheaval of the U.S. SECURE Act, which should trigger a re-think of everyone’s estate plan.
That’s why every attorney in our practice spends serious time each month on professional development—attending seminars when they aren’t giving seminars.
You won’t find the right estate lawyer simply by searching “living trust attorney near me.” And please, don’t rely on some online trust mill. A Living Trust is way too important for a robot, and every Trust requires personal customization, no matter how simple you may imagine your situation to be.
Local Matters, Too
Being local often matters a lot with an estate attorney.
Estate Planning is a personal relationship. And even as the world moves to attorney videoconferencing with Zoom and the like, I know you will always want someone with a local office for signings and paperwork.
Just as importantly, only a full-time Conejo Valley estate attorney will maintain the right estate- related contacts with local accountants and financial planners—they can and should work together for you.
About Westlake Village Estate Attorney, Jeff Rosen
Attorney Jeff Rosen has focused a dynamic legal career on Estate Planning and living trust matters. That means he helps people construct powerful protections for their assets and create a genuine legacy for loved ones.
Along with his deep experience in the field, Jeff has taken and passed the Certified Specialist Exam in Estate Planning Trust & Probate Law. This is a rare accomplishment—and it means that in addition to getting through college, law school, and passing the California Bar Exam, he continued his education with current, specialized instruction in estate planning, and has the qualifications to become certified in this ever-evolving field.
Jeff finds great joy in planning strategies that involve blended families, clients with IRAs, Roth IRAs, Roth Conversions, and Proposition 13 preservation—along with avoiding, minimizing and deferring capital gains taxes, and aggressive asset prote
About Westlake Village Estate Attorney, Janice Lee Shen
Attorney Janice Lee Shen focuses on Trust Administration, Medi-Cal Planning, and Veteran’s Benefits planning, including Aid & Attendance benefits. That means she helps families going through the legal and financial hurdles of caring for an incapacitated loved one, as well as coping with the many issues that arise when a loved one passes away.
Janice is particularly expert in navigating the complexities of required statutory notices, including California Probate Code Section 16061.7, as well as preserving low Proposition 13 taxes for families. Indeed, avoiding reassessment and saving Proposition 13 taxes often form a substantial part of the services and value Janice provides to clients. Clients especially value her ability to provide comfort and advice when they are going through difficult times. Janice grew up in Los Angeles, resides in Encino, California.
Part of the Community
Jeff and Janice are each involved in the Westlake Village and greater Conejo Valley community.
Jeff is an active member of the local bar association. Janice is involved with the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California (KABA) where she enjoys volunteering her time and giving back to the community. Janice has also been part of the Milken Scholars Application Review Selection Committee for the past several years where she has had the honor of reviewing potential Milken Scholars who are given scholarships for college.
Both Jeff and Janice have an active referral network of attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, and other professionals related to the estate planning process.
What Do We Do?
The lawyers and staff at CunninghamLegal help people plan for some of the most difficult times in their lives; then we guide them when those times come.
Our office has represented families of all types, large and small businesses, celebrities, professionals, and people at every level of income and complexity of assets. Many of our clients work with us right after they’ve gone through the loss of a loved one—a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a partner, a grandparent. We help to provide stability during such times, with the goal of guiding and protecting every client.
We always approach our work with ethics, knowledge, care, and caring.
Make an appointment to meet with CunninghamLegal Westlake Village for Estate Planning and Trust Administration. We offer in-person, phone, and Zoom appointments. Just call
+1 866.988.3956 or book an appointment online.
Make sure your Living Will and Estate Plan are up-to-date with your current family situation and the latest laws. Make sure you protect yourself as a trustee.
We look forward to working with you!
