A Family Home Needs a Family Plan

Book Appointment

You worked hard to buy your home.

Now make sure your family can actually keep it, manage it, and make decisions about it if life doesn’t go according to plan.

Most homeowners are never told what legally happens to a house after incapacity or death. Without planning, families often face court involvement, delays, and expensive complications at the worst possible time.

We help put clear instructions in place, so your home and the people you love stay protected.

Who This Is For

This planning is especially important if you:

  • Own a home in California

  • Have minor children

  • Are unmarried partners or co-owners

  • Are part of an LGBTQ household

  • Have a blended family

  • Want to avoid probate

  • Want someone to be able to handle your stuff if you can’t

Default laws rarely match real life. Planning fixes that.

What Happens Without Planning

When a homeowner becomes incapacitated or dies without proper planning:

  • No one automatically has authority to manage life and assets

  • A partner may not have legal standing

  • Kids can end up in foster care and can’t inherit directly

  • Selling or refinancing may be delayed for months or longer

  • Everything about your life (and death) becomes public

Most families are surprised by how complicated things can get.

How We Help

We design estate plans specifically around you - regardless if you own real estate or have kids. You are reason enough to have a plan.

Estate Planning

  • Flat fee billing in most cases

  • Living trusts designed to avoid probate

  • Guardianship planning

  • Financial Power of Attorney

  • Health Care Directives

  • Planning for unmarried partners & chosen family

  • Coordinating with others to support your plan

Clear planning keeps decisions with your people, not the court.

Buyers & Sellers

  • Purchase agreement review

  • Disclosure & Inspection Reviews and Preparation

  • HOA Disclosure Reviews

  • Adding/Removing People from Title

  • Co-Ownership Agreements

  • Private lending

  • Property Buyouts

Getting advice early prevents expensive problems later.

I’m Rebecca Secord, a California estate planning & real estate attorney with over 15 years of experience.

I spend a lot of time helping families after something has already gone wrong. After seeing how often this could have been avoided - especially in the real estate context - I built my practice around getting ahead of these problems.

I’m a parent and homeowner so I totally get why people put this off. Life is busy, and planning never feels urgent until it suddenly is. My job is to make the process clear and manageable so you don’t have to figure it out during really stressful moments.

I work with married couples, unmarried partners, blended families, and folx in the LGBTQ community - come as you are. The goal isn’t paperwork, it’s crafting a plan that is tailored to your unique needs so your people can step up when the time comes and the people and organizations you love and support are taken care of.

Meet Rebecca

Ready to Get Started?

You don’t need to own multiple properties, consider yourself “wealthy”, have kids or a spouse. Having a pulse - that’s reason enough to have an estate plan as an adult. All of the other things that come with life just add the reasons why you need to take steps to protect you and yours.

Protect yourself. Protect you family.

Book a complimentary call by using the scheduling link below or call our office: 619-377-6546