James was excellent. This was our first time my wife and I decided to have a Trust Estate Planning put in place and so we had no idea where to start. James was very patient with us, very understanding, and most importantly, very personable and didn't make us feel unintelligent. He took the time and walked us through every question that mattered and explained to us the options, etc. James: Thank you. My wife and I feel a lot more at ease now that we have a Trust in place for our family. -Hnn N., 7/12/2023
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When my family started the estate planning process, I researched online and scheduled consultations with several law office with similar positive reviews. Even though James's quoted fees was the highest, I selected James after the consultations for the following reasons: 1. He was the MOST patient in answering my many questions. 2. He asked additional questions that I did not think of (other lawyers did not ask). 3. Has experience handling out-of-state investment properties. Throughout the process, James continued to impress as he was completely through, knowledgeable, and the utmost professional. James provided very detailed follow up instructions and continued with friendly follow ups to make sure we didn't have additional questions. We are very happy with James and would highly recommend him. -John L., 5/29/2023
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We are new residents to CA and required someone who knew the CA specific laws for wills and trusts. We reached out to our personal attorney who recommended James Stein. James's attention to detail as well as legal knowledge are just amazing. This is such an important document and we are at rest knowing it has been done both professionally and to the "letter of the law". His professionalism as well as advice are unapparelled, we highly recommend James. -Gretchen J., 3/6/2023
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James is extremely reliable, thorough, and dependable. He may not be the cheapest but he is a prime example of you get what you pay for. He will do all the docs and cover areas that most other attorneys are charging you extra for. If something happens on our lives, I know James has absolutely everything covered for us. -Alex G., 1/25/2023
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We could not have been happier with the service James provided setting up our trust and estate documents. James is thorough, reliable and kind. We highly recommend working with James! -Amanda H., San Diego, CA 8/15/2022
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We've now completed our own estate plan, and James was fantastic - super detail-oriented, sent us clear lists of what we needed to accomplish, talked us through some of the more complicated aspects of trusts, strategized with us through different options to accomplish what we wanted. And his fee was extremely reasonable. I can't recommend him enough. -C. C., Orinda, CA 8/5/2022
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James is great! , he helped us on two occasions, he helped us figure out how to undo a will and to make a new one, transfer a house with prop 13. Very helpful, he answered all of our questions, phone calls, emails. He gave us great advice on how to do a living trust, knew all the ins and outs. And it all came together in a nice binder with a back up stick, very organized. Thank you very much James! -J B., Martinez, CA 7/12/2022
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James gave the best, top notch service. I did not have to call around any other lawyer to handle setting up out trust account. I'm so lucky to have found him. He is very patient, informative and super helpful. Process was quick and he gave very detailed instructions on how to do our 'homework' and even send reminders to see how we're doing. I highly recommend him and would come back to him for future services. Thank you, James!! -Inggar H., San Jose, CA 7/11/2022
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Excellent Service and Reasonable Fee: We interviewed three estate planning attorneys and decided on James since he asked the most questions and demonstrated a sincere desire to understand our situation before we even discussed pricing. James was informative, thorough, knowledgeable, sincere, and very personable. Our onboarding process went very smoothly and we felt no pressure whatsoever. James follows up on a regular basis to ensure that we are on track to complete the funding of our living trust. We are very happy with his work and will not hesitate to recommend his services to our family and friends. -Linda, 6/7/2022
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Estate Planning: James came to my rescue with his expertise in Estate Planning when timing was of the essence. He guided me through the process by sending easy to follow “work forms” that were very helpful in submitting the info he needed. James has excellent communication skills and a ton of patience. He also led me through the particulars making certain I understood the process. James will send you his end product, a Binder, which is totally professional with a complete Index of all its contents. The Binder also includes his thorough Cover Letter along with a flash drive key. James is a true professional, honest, a very hard worker and an all around nice person. I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to recommend James to anyone! -Shari, 5/22/2022
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James has been wonderful in assisting with the unwieldy task of estate planning. Compassionate, detail-oriented, and knowledgable. He has continued to follow up with additional information, which is greatly appreciated. -Joan M., San Ramon, CA 4/28/2022
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We had a complicated estate planning need considering the needs of a disabled daughter, her siblings and our grandchildren. James lead us through the process systematically, had "homework" forms for us to easily submit the info he needed, and provided great advice on setting it up. He was also very helpful in appropriately assigning IRA beneficiaries considering the recent laws limiting their stretch provisions. The end product he delivers is also a class act with everything neatly provided in a binder and a cover letter telling us what we need to do to keep it current. My wife and I feel we got a great deal out of this process, and are comfortable that our children and grandchildren will be receiving the best we can give. -Mark L., San Ramon, CA 3/19/2022
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Finally got around to the whole estate planning thing and contacted James on recommendation from a few family members that used him. While estate planning is not the most exciting or pleasant of tasks, James made everything easy and straightforward. The process consists of a few phone calls and an in person meeting to get signatures and the like. I would recommend him to anyone looking to do their estate planning. -Jeff H., San Leandro, CA 3/11/2022
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If you want a great attorney with excellent communication skills and a extremely strong work ethic you should hire James! My husband and I just had a little one and we wanted to make sure all of our ducks were in a row in case anything happened to us. I felt trepidation thinking about potential futures and about money. Two very scary things to think and talk about. We found James and he put our minds at ease. James is super gifted, very smart and thorough. I highly recommend James. We are so lucky to have found him. -Meagan O., March 2022
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DEDICATION, PATIENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM! I am so grateful to have selected Attorney James D. Stein to redo my Estate Plan. I have had other Attorneys in the past but James is the best by far. James is astute, pleasant, patient and was there to protect all of my wishes and concerns. -Jay, 2/24/2022
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James guided me through my estate planning needs from start to finish! From the very beginning he was honest, informative, kind, efficient, yet patient. As I knew nothing about this process, he explained everything thoroughly and answered all my questions, promptly. He ensured I understood each step of the entire process. He made a daunting task, pleasant to say the least! I highly recommend James for any estate planning needs! -Jamee Z., Los Angeles, CA 1/14/2022
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James effectively and patiently worked through and completed the estate planning process with my husband and I. He is a joy to work with. James is very professional and has a nice, easy going personality. He continues to be immediately available and helpful. I highly recommend him. -Karin B., Danville, CA 12/9/2021
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Professional, patient, and helpful. Set up an estate plan for me. He also effectively helped someone close to me through a transition. -Monty G., Alameda, CA 12/1/2021
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James helped my wife and I with our estate planning and he was a tremendous help from start to finish. He helped us navigate the legal terms and decision points and was extremely helpful and professional throughout the process. I would highly recommend James for his help and services! -Jeffrey P., CA 11/23/2021
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Fantastic Estate Planning Experience My wife and I were looking for a lawyer who specialized in estate planning as we wanted to create a comprehensive estate plan. After interviewing several law firms we chose the Law Office of James D. Stein. James was very professional, knowledgeable, courteous and answered all our questions in a timely manner. The entire process from the initial consultation to getting the trust signed was smooth and easy. I would highly recommend this law firm. -David, 10/22/2021
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Professional, organized, and very clear on every step. Easy to communicate with and very timely with responses and follow up. Very nice and accommodating with flexible schedule options. Upfront with costs and no surprises, honest with recommendations and information. -Meleen D., CA 10/14/2021
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We waited a long time to find the right estate planning attorney because it requires so much trust (pun not intended!). James came highly recommended, so we went ahead and finally contacted him. He was very knowledgeable and professional. And it went as painless and smooth as it could go! He followed up with us regularly until we got every last t crossed. So great to work with! -Cathy H., Concord, CA 9/16/2021
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I hired James for my estate planning after carefully interviewed quiet a few professionals. He's pleasant, professional, patiently listened to what I need and provided the best options for me to consider. Highly recommend!! Thank you, James! -Jes H., Tracy, CA 8/27/2021
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My wife and I have recently used James' service to set up our family trust. James took the time to explain the process and answer all our questions and we had many. James was professional, articulate, and well spoken. James went the extra mile to ensure our deeds are recorded in a timely manner. He made the process easy. We look forward to using Mr. James Stein again in the future -Thai P., CA 6/17/2021
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James provided excellent service, and made everything easy for us. He has thorough mastery over a complicated area of law, and he makes it accessible to his clients. He is a terrific and affordable lawyer, and I highly recommend him. -Michael A., Durham, NC 6/4/2021
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We had our trust and wills done by James, and later he consulted with us on a different family trust matter and he was excellent. He is professional, responsive, and thorough, and taught us so many things about estate trusts and wills we never knew. He is very nice to deal with, and we would highly recommend him. -Bob B., San Ramon, CA 5/15/2021
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I found James looking at reviews on yelp. I think he deserves for me to give him a review here... James was great. My wife and I really didnt know what we were doing when it came to Estate planning. James was able to walk us through this process. He was very patient with us and answered all of our questions. On top of him doing a good job for us, he is a really nice guy. I give him the highest of recommendations. -Bruce D., Oakland, CA 5/13/2021
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A purely positive experience working with James. He helped us with our Irrevocable trust and was more than patient in explaining the process and addressing our concerns; tailoring the document to exactly what we needed. He presented many options for us and of course made us aware of issues we didn't even think of (which is what you would expect from a good attorney!) The final result was a very neatly organized binder (with a flash drive copy), filed paperwork with the county and email follow up to be sure we had everything we needed; all at a very fair price. James will be our 'go to guy' for any future work. Thanks you for the great job! :-) -Daniel T., Castro Valley, CA 3/28/2021
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I hired James to create a complete estate plan for my uncle. The plan was relatively straightforward, but involved multiple family members, and then, when researching deeds, James discovered a number of issues with how they had been originally filed, many years ago, which could have created a mess when we eventually try to sell the property. I'm thankful for James' ability to manage this project in an extremely professional manner, his attention to detail, desire to get everything straightened out, and for being flexible with scheduling, when we all had to sign documents on the same date. He had to send multiple packages out to different family members, and everything came with clear instructions and well-marked. All together, he's fantastic, and I'll soon be hiring him to do my estate plan as well. -C. C., Orinda, CA 3/17/2021
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Great experience, very informative, guided us through the entire process, provided recommendations, followed up afterwards, very professional. Very please with the estate planning. -James T., Castro Valley, CA 2/1/2021
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James is awesome. He's professional, knowledgeable, easy going, patient, kind, and thorough. We'd been dragging our feet on creating a trust, wills, and all the grown up stuff. James was a saint as he walked us through the entire process from start to finish. Without his patient perseverance, I doubt we would've finished. I highly recommend James' services and would happily work with him again. -Terri H., San Francisco, CA 1/8/2021
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James was wonderful in assisting us with our estate planning! He was very patient to answer all our questions and very organized as well. He made the complicated process of estate planning much easier. I highly recommend him! -Harry H., January 2021
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We retained James to help in administering my brother’s estate and with our own living trust. James is very knowledgeable, honest, professional, efficient, and reasonably priced. He was always patient took the time to explain things thoroughly and was very responsive by phone, email, and text. He let me choose tasks to do with the estate administration to save money. For our living trust we received a wonderfully organized large binder with all our documents along with a flash drive. James was a real pleasure to work with and we highly recommend him! -Julie U., January 2021
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Unbelievably responsive, reasonably priced, and the nicest lawyer in the world. I highly, highly recommend James for your estate planning. -J B., Santa Monica, CA 11/27/2020
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Wow. Unbelievably great law firm with a fantastic human at its helm. And this is a Trojan complimenting a Bruin, so this is a big deal... and earned. James is honest, kind and proactive. He talked with me through some initial guidance then referred me on, rather than trying to focusing on his fees. He will get all of my estate planning business and I will send everyone I know his way. -Jonathan L., San Ramon, CA 11/13/2020
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I highly recommend James, although I didn't end up using his legal services. I was looking to update our trust (which was about 10 years old), and I did a lot of research before having an initial consultation. I found him on Yelp, looked through all the testimonials on his website, and spoke directly to 4 former clients that James was able to provide as references. All 4 spoke extremely highly of James, both with regards to his legal skills as well as his character as a person. I then spoke to James, and he let me know that I needed a specialist outside of his area of expertise, and provided me with referrals. I think it was fantastic that he was so up-front with that information and didn't try to just get my business even though he may not have been the best person for me. Given all these interactions, I really trust James, liked talking to him, and would definitely recommend him for anyone else looking to do estate planning. He happily spent time with me on the phone answering my questions even though he knew I wasn't going to be a client. I think that speaks to his generosity and helpfulness. So, in short, use all my legwork and be secure in picking James to work with. -Rich D., Danville, CA 10/29/2020
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James efficiently and kindly helped my grandfather and I to make a trust in August 2020. My grandpa's health was shaky and James prioritized our account to get things done quickly. My grandpa didn't even have a current ID and he found a legal way to manage that and have the trust go through. During covid times getting a state ID for a 92-year-old bed-ridden man an ID would have been really difficult. James provides thorough information so you can manage what you need to on your own to make the trust complete. A month has passed since setting up the trust, and so has my grandpa. This time is very hard for me, he was my only family, and I am trusting in James to help me through once more by hiring him to close out the trust. My grandpa was very appreciative of his help when he was alive, and asked that I write as many good reviews as I could for James, so here I am on behalf of myself and my grandpa. He liked James' sense of humor and how warm and friendly he is and was very pleased by how timely and considerate his service is. If he had not been as effective and clear as he was we may not have accomplished my grandpa's wishes in time. Now I know how important it is to get these things done in a timely fashion. Yes the cost might seem high (not comparatively, just in general) but the value is that I have so much less to worry about now that I am so overwhelmed by my grief. -Monica, 10/13/2020
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An update: Two of my cousins met with James Stein, and each one decided to have their families' estate documents drawn up by him. They are very happy with their experience with James. I followed up with them out of curiosity. I was thrilled that they were happy with his work. They had put off getting their estate plans drawn up because of the difficulty of finding a good estate lawyer. I told them I took the grief of finding and working with lesser estate lawyers. I saved them time and money. (the truth). Take my word and my cousins' word, James Stein is a superlative estate lawyer. At least meet with him. I think the choice always comes down to how well you communicate with your lawyer. He's direct and well-informed. As for you, happy lawyer-hunting! :) -Jenny Y., Walnut Creek, CA 10/15/2020
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Nothing like a global health pandemic to help you get serious about doing the grownup work of making wills and other estate plans! We'd been talking about doing this for a couple years but everytime we looked online it was so daunting. We even paid $100 for online Will/Trust documents and then... couldn't quite get it done. Every time we tried to talk it through we went down some rabbit hole of what if this or that happens. James was the MOST helpful. He quoted us a reasonable price and spent the time to walk us through all our questions and what-if scenarios. He patiently explained all the legaleese in terms we could understand. We've got all our documents now and we're in the process of doing all our homework to get things transferred over to our new trust. He's still patiently answering our questions as we work through that process. He's really just a nice guy who wants to help people deal with a difficult topic and make sure their wishes are in place and things are easy for our families if something happens to us. Pandemics suck and thinking about your death sucks but James made it pretty manageable and now we're feeling pretty set and congratulating ourselves on how grownup we are! -Suzanne G., Castro Valley, CA 9/12/2020
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Epic Estate Planning We recently completed estate planning with Mr Stein and it was easy, informative and comforting. At a time when nothing feels safe, establishing a trust for our family was an overdue task. After a series of well planned phone calls and emails, many of our fears have passed and we have Mr Stein to thank for it. He was tactful, professional, and witty. I had hoped to find someone who made us feel competent and comfortable. I hadn’t expected to find a lawyer who would also be friendly and kind. Mr Stein took the time to explain things clearly, answered any questions we had with the utmost in patience and has given us amazing peace of mind. We are incredibly appreciative and full recommend his services to others. -Kisa, 8/27/2020
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For years we wanted to establish a trust but put it off, thinking it was going to be a long, tedious process. James' knowledge, experience and organized approach to the process made it straightforward and easy to accomplish. Very informative and even provided answers to the questions we we didn't even know to ask. -L Rose, July, 2020
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Our experiences to work with Mr. James Stein to establish our family Trust has been a pleasant and comfortable. James is not only execute it professional, but also very thoughtful and personal. At any point of situation to make a decision call, James not only provide us his professional, knowledgeable advice, he also gave us what other family could be doing/have done based on his experiences. That is very helpful, and particular we feel a very personal touch to make it easy for us to make the call. I highly rate his work, and recommend any family to work with him when the time to do so. -Frank Wu, 6/11/2020
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We could not have been happier with the service that James provided for us as we planned out our Estate Plan. After speaking with some friends and family about the process we knew that it was important to find a knowledgeable and trustworthy lawyer to help guide us as we set up this important set of documents. After doing our due diligence and meeting with some other lawyers in the area we found James to be thorough, professional, and someone who we could see ourselves working with in the future. The overall process took about 3 months, however much of the time needed was on me and my wife's side. As a young family we had a lot of decisions to make, everything from managing our assets, to how we designated caregivers for our children, and advance directives in the event of a medical issue. James walked us through multiple scenarios and was very patient & attentive with us as we asked many questions along the way. There were some tough conversations that we had to have as a family, but I believe James did a great job preparing us for these conversations and did not rush the process. In addition to his stellar service we believe he was fair in his pricing and turnaround time. Considering the massive size of the Estate Plan that James put together for us (including trust documents, wills, advance healthcare directives, etc.), I'm amazed at how fast he was able to not just put this all together but also empower us to learn about each of these components. We highly recommend James for his Estate Plan services and look forward to working with him in the future. -james v., San Jose, CA 6/7/2020
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We were in need of a trustworthy local attorney to help us with our estate planning, and James Stein completely came through for us. He is prompt, punctual, meticulous and understanding. He is very methodical in his approach. He listens intently, and crafts a legal package to suit your particular situation. My wife and I are very happy to have chosen James for our estate planning and highly recommend him. -Nick P., San Ramon, CA 5/24/2020
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We found that James provided a "white-glove treatment" for our estate-planning needs. His level of experience, professionalism, thoroughness and caring was greatly appreciated. Our estate plan was tailored to not only avoid probate, but also how to handle some unique family needs. James carefully reviewed our assets and goals, and developed a draft estate plan that he carefully explained in "plain English." Also, after the plan was finalized, James was still responsive to additional questions. We highly recommend James' services. -Larry D., San Ramon, CA 4/30/2020
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Trustful and Compassionate Estate Attorney James helped me put together my first estate plan after I had inherited assets from my father (who unexpectedly passed away). The idea of putting together an estate plan is daunting in and of itself, and given the circumstances I sought James' help under, I was experiencing additional stress. James has a kind demeanor and was gracious with his time, patiently answering all of my questions and walking me through the entire process. He also went above and beyond multiple times to point me in the direction of resources related to my inherited properties. I highly recommend James and believe anyone will feel well taken care when employing his services. -Eric, 4/7/2020
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We had procrastinated too long in getting our estate incorporated into a trust (it is important to do this and avoid the delays and cost of probate proceedings). This Law Office was very helpful and efficient. The cost was reasonable. Everything went quite smoothly. James Stein was most pleasant to work with as well. And he followed up afterward with advice and reminders to take care of some important things afterward. -Brian K., Livermore, CA 4/1/2020
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We needed to create a family trust and we are very happy we chose James. We had minimal knowledge on the details of finance and law. James was very honest and provided us with sufficient knowledge to make the best decision for our family. We really enjoyed working with James and will definitely recommend him to friends and family. -H T., Oakland, CA 3/27/2020
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My respect for James Stein is of the highest. Not only did he manage the administration of my dad's Trust, but because of how well he handled that, I asked him to restate my Trust. Initially, I and my brothers hired him to "clean up" our dad's Trust. There was room for differences of opinion in understanding the terms of dad's Trust, so it needed the efforts of an estate lawyer to make things as clear as possible. When dad passed, we had James handle the administration of his Trust. James' efforts were impressive. He coordinated his efforts with dad's financial adviser and his accountant. He worked with them to minimize our tax consequences. He advocates very hard for his clients. He represented the three offspring when we first signed on for his services to clean up dad's Trust. He was careful to always represent the three of us equally (...there was some disagreement among the offspring about the distribution of the Trust). He was careful not to favor any one of us, which is to follow the law exactly. When it came to administering my dad's Trust, I don't think it could have been done as efficiently, as financially smart, or as professionally by anyone else. I, and my brothers, are very grateful for all he did for us. As for my Trust Restatement, I had already had a Restatement done (!!!) by another estate attorney, one I had hired for a number of years. Let's call the former estate attorney, Attorney Z. When Attorney Z wrote a Restatement, I was disappointed (understatement). What I received from Attorney Z was vague, messy, and just unacceptable. (I got Attorney Z by referral, by the way...) I was also dissatisfied with Attorney Z's response to my complaints. Attorney Z told me to rewrite/fix what I didn't like, and he asked me to write my corrections into MS Word, so he could cut and paste my changes into an update. I couldn't feel good about that whole experience. I couldn't accept that the final product was right because I am not a lawyer, and I didn't know if what I tried to reword was, in fact, saying what I wanted it to say. Attorney Z told me he reviewed my updates before creating a new version, but that's not good enough. He didn't change much, and, like I said, I am NOT a lawyer. Attorney Z said he spent a few hours working on the changes, so he charged me more. This went against our verbal agreement. It was insane. I was not confident with Attorney Z's work at all. I was even worried that I might get sick and need my Trust/Will to kick in. I didn't want Attorney Z's version of my Restatement to go into effect. It had too many loopholes (when none is best), and I had no confidence that my wishes would be enforced just as I wanted them to be. I decided to have my Restatement redone, this time by James Stein. I was confident in his abilities because he had done such a bang-up job for my dad's estate. I wasn't disappointed. Just as one would expect an estate lawyer to do, James interviewed me to get a firm understanding of how I wanted my Trust enforced. His work on a second Restatement was detail-oriented, complete, well-written, and well-organized. Plus, he was absolutely caring and professional to work with. I describe him to friends as a truly great estate attorney, someone who goes above and beyond, and someone who does work that is not just great but truly exceptional. My Restatement is now well done. It is up to standards, and tough ones I might add. It is also delivered in a very professional package. Aside from delivering the estate documents in a highly-organized and high quality binder, he includes a digital version of all the Trust documents on a thumb drive. He thinks of everything! I have recommended him to family and friends. They are presently still dragging their feet on the subject, but I tell them that if they want their Trust done with the highest quality and care, then James Stein is the one to go to. Thanks, James! You have been a blessing, and you are the best! -Jenny Y., Walnut Creek, CA 3/15/2020
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Great lawyer for us At our age, we needed a living trust badly. Friends and relatives had finished theirs many years ago. They kept reminding us about it, but we had been procrastinating to get one done. Finally, we found some time to do it. James Stein is a great lawyer. He is very knowledgeable about what we need to do with our living trust. He gives recommendations of making the living trust better and more efficient. He goes through the documents with us with extreme care. We strongly recommend him. -anonymous, 2/20/2020
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We being first generation of Indian-Americans had a very different need for our will. Mr. Stein took time to understand our needs for preparing our living trust and a will document that addressed all of our requirements. -Rabi K., San Francisco, CA 2/15/2020
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We highly recommend James Stein for estate planning. We went to James for a restatement of our 2006 living trust and for an update of all our estate planning documents. James was thorough and efficient in evaluating our personal financial situation and in guiding us through all required decisions and options. He answered all questions patiently and completely. The final product is a beautiful, well organized binder with all necessary documents and instructions. He also provided an electronic copy of all documents. James exceeded our expectations! -Deanna, 12/27/2019
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We worked with James to update our trust. He took the time to educate us on changes from the time we did our original trust, always explaining the 'legal' detail in a manner we could understand. He is very outgoing, easy to work with, thorough in the execution of what he committed to do for us. We enjoyed working with him and would highly recommend his services! -Warren S., 11/1/2019
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James was fantastic to work with. His understanding and the valuable information he offered us was so informative and enlightening. He did a restatement of an existing trust that we had and helped us include specific provisions that we wanted added as well as making additional updates that were definitely needed. It had been way too long for this review. He also did some research for us to make sure what he was passing on to us was correct. We appreciated that very much. The final document was received and it is so complete along with instructions (homework) for us to do. I would definitely recommend James' service to friends and family. He will be our go-to person in the future to keep our trust up to date. -Nadine W., San Leandro, CA 9/20/2019
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It was a pleasure to have James as the attorney to prepare our family trust. We found him to be knowledgeable, thorough and extremely organized. Communications were easy as he was always accessible and answered all our questions and concerns in a timely manner. His explanations were always concise, to-the-point and easy to understand. He was patient and flexible in his work to accommodate our busy schedule. He is friendly, easy to work with and a true professional. We are very happy with the final document that he prepared for us. We highly recommend him as an attorney for preparing a family trust. -Kathy J., Danville, CA 9/14/2019
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James Stein was most helpful, easy to discuss issues with, and very thorough. I used his services to rewrite my Trust. First interaction was by phone where he sought general information about my expectations and questions I had. He gave me a thorough explanation how the process would go, as well as the timing. All the aforementioned was done in a professional, yet easy process. James offered throughout if I had questions to contact him. I did, and he responded quickly either by phone, email, or offered to discuss at our next meeting. At the second phase he offered to either come to my home, or meet at his San Ramon office. I chose my home, which was convenient when he asked questions, and I could pull from my files to respond. James went through the previous Trust asking questions as to the relevancy today and future. Then he went step by step through requirements and my wishes for the Trust. A few days later he provided an electronic draft for my review/comment. Third phase was a discussion of any other questions, and signing/notarizing. He made recommendations for the storage of these documents, and other related activities post the signing. James was always on time, and always pleasant I highly recommend him. -Darlene H., Livermore, CA 8/26/2019
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Estate planning was something we procrastinated on as we always thought it to be a stressful task. However, our first meeting with James went very smoothly. He answered all of our questions without rushing us. He asked us many questions that we never even realized was important in drafting our documents. When we received our draft and reviewed it, James was very patient in answering our questions. He NEVER failed to reply to our emails in details where we could understand complicated issues easily. When we had a problem and felt stuck, James would always come up with a solution. After we signed the final documents, we received a very professional binder that included our documents in paper form and a soft copy on a USB. James was so organized and keen to details with instructions on what to do next. If we need to update our documents in the future, we will not think twice to call on James! -Stephen W., San Ramon, CA 7/15/2019
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I highly recommend James . He prepared well before our meetings. He is very responsive to our questions on email and on phone. His schedule was flexible even to client home and weekend if need. James explained the details of the trust and will to us and always gave us examples so we could have better planning in trust . He also prepared a reminder for us to do after documents are notarized so we knew what we would do on transferring the properties under the trust. -Janelle L., San Francisco, CA 6/11/2019
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We had a wonderful experience working with James Stein on setting up a Trust and Will for our family. We had a scheduled trip overseas coming up and were very delayed in setting anything up. We have children and property, but had nothing documented or set up for an event that one of us or both of us suddenly pass away. James has been very supportive and was able to complete the most crucial documents before our departure. He was respectful of our schedules and commutes and was flexible enough to meet us at our house. He walked us through the process clearly and made the entire experience funner than we anticipated. We are extremely grateful to him for giving us a peace of mind before the trip. We can now sleep better at night, knowing that we took steps to ensure our family will be better taken care of. -Edward B., Fremont, CA 4/16/2019
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James was our first and only choice for preparing our revocable living trust, wills, powers of attorney ... all the legal precautions we didn't want to think about but were hanging over our heads with each passing year. James made the process easy, if not enjoyable. Although we live hundreds of miles apart, were were able to work entirely over phone and email. Up front, James sent us a thorough list of questions and then walked through our answers over the course of a lengthy but enjoyable phone call (my wife and I each poured a glass of wine for the occasion!). James patiently guided us through each section and helped us find answers that worked for *us*. By the end of the call we were confident that James understood us, our preferences for sensitive aspects of life, and our hopes for our children. We walked away knowing that he would craft a trust that would satisfy our wants and needs (even those of which we were unaware!). In the days to follow, James did just this, expertly guiding us through followup decisions and legal processes to create and seed the trust. The final product was a beautiful, comprehensive set of documents with a clear roadmap and instructions for ongoing maintenance and funding. My wife and I now breath a little easier when we travel and sleep a little more peacefully at night knowing that our children will be cared for and our wishes carried out should anything happen to us. Thanks to James. We can't imagine going through this process with anyone else! -Coram B., Encinitas, CA 4/7/2019
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My husband and I kept putting off writing our will and creating our trust, even though we knew it was the responsible thing to do. When we finally decided to do it, James was our first and only call. He made the entire process easy to navigate with his knowledge, organization, and humor. His attention to detail gave us peace of mind. We can't recommend James enough! -Sanjana B., Encinitas, CA 4/7/2019
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James was awesome - very thorough and friendly and made the process of creating a will and trust very quick and easy. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to do the same. -Amy S., Redwood City, CA 4/5/2019
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We came to James for help and he was very professional. Always on time and willing to answer any question. He is flexible and willing to work with you at your pace. I would recommend him to my family and friends. -Pal B., Dublin, CA 1/2/2019
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We contacted James Stein for preparing my family trust and will documents. We had a best experience working with Stein. He is very professional and knowledgeable with trusts and and wills. He is people friendly person. He made us feel like we are his best friends. He explained everything in detail. I recommend Stein to anyone who needs his services. I will work with him again if I need any of his services. Thanks James Stein. You are the best. -Srinivasa A., San Francisco, CA 9/27/2018
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Mr. Stein recently assisted us with some real estate legal matters. He took the stress out of a situation that felt very stressful. Easy to work with and very efficient. -Sepi K., Dublin, CA 9/10/2018
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From my experience with him, James is not only professional, organized and knowledgeable, but also very patient with all your questions, and response them very promptly. In my opinion, James is the best attorney in Estate Planning! I am more than satisfied with all he has done for us. I highly recommend him. -May L., San Francisco, CA 9/1/2018
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James prepared a comprehensive estate planning portfolio for us which included a Revocable Trust, Wills, Power of Attorney, and Advance Health Care Directive for both my husband and I. He was very patient to work with and responsive to our questions. We were extremely pleased with the overall estate plan which included a well-organized binder of documents, a flash drive containing the documents and clear funding instructions. James was easy to work with and we highly recommend him for your estate planning needs. If you choose James as your estate planning attorney, you will be glad you did. -Cindy D., Danville, CA 8/5/2018
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It's the thing we knew we should and needed to do, but didn't really want to think about, creating a will/trust. James made the entire process easy, flexible and painless. He sat down with us and was well prepared with lists of questions to guide us through the entire process. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and super responsive with his communication. Once we answered his questions, he sent us the documents to review. After that, we met in person to sign everything and a week later, received a large leather binder along with an electronic copy of our trust and specific instructions on what we needed to do next. I'm so relieved that we finally got this done and it is all thanks to James! -Dee M., Dublin, CA 5/22/2018
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We had put off creating a Trust for much too long thinking it would be too complicated and time consuming. We found ourselves in a position where we could not put it off much longer. Enter James Stein. I sent James an email and received a very timely response. James is professional, organized and knowledgeable. He listened closely and answered our questions, even answered questions we didn't know we should be asking! We felt like we were being heard. We worked over the phone, via email and face to face at our home and his office. James made it very easy for us to understand and interpreted our needs and wishes. He's a very friendly and personable person to work with. When all said and done, James provided us with a Trust as well as our will, POA, Advanced Healthcare Directive and HIPPA Authorization all at a very affordable price and in a very timely manner organized in a nice binder with a digital copy of all our paperwork. We highly recommend James Stein for all your Estate Planning. -Martha B., San Ramon, CA 5/11/2018
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James is a exceptionally patient and helpful. He helped with both estate planning (a revocable trust) and administering my mother's estate after her passing. He answered innumerable questions, some of which were repetitive because there are a lot of legal things that were new for my family to learn in this process. He listened very carefully to all concerns and found ways to make sure all requests were honored and compliant with the law. Our situation was complicated by everyone involved being located in many different places. James was responsive by phone, email, and text even at times I would not expect such an immediate response. When documents were produced and shipped, all necessary actions were very clear and carefully labeled. This is probably one of the easiest engagements with a lawyer I could have imagined. I don't think that you need to be located in the same part of California as James to get a great service. He is flexible and very knowledgeable about state law and will do the legwork to find out any specific considerations for the county or counties involved. I would highly recommend as his patience was immense and his pricing was very reasonable for the services he provided. The work was done very quickly. I would go to him again without hesitation and would urge friends and family to use his services as well. -Victor L., Logan, UT 3/21/2018
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James was professional and meticulous when setting up my family's estate plan. But most importantly, he made everything EASY on me. With a newborn and being back at work, the last thing I wanted to do was worry about my estate planning documents. He made it so simple. Just a one hour call with my husband and me and he handled the rest. He was also very thorough -- pointing out intricacies related to future likely scenarios that I would not have thought to account for. We highly recommend James! -Krysta P., Sherman Oaks, CA 2/5/2018
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After having a baby and buying a house, my husband and I knew we needed to set up a trust/will, but were dragging our feet because we thought it would be a long and laborious task. James made it easy and quick! We were able to handle everything via email and phone, even a late night conference call after our kiddo had gone to bed. James is very knowledgeable- he asked questions/scenarios we would have never considered. The entire process was very quick and James provided a professional document, including a digital copy. We can't recommend him enough! -Kim R., Santa Cruz, CA 1/1/2018
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I had James put together a revocable living trust for me. It was a bit more complicated than usual I imagine, but James seemed to have a good handle on all the issues, and when he didn't, he went and did the necessary research to get the answers. The finished product was quite impressive, both in detail and presentation. I am confident all my wishes are reflected in the trust, and they they will be easily understood by the trustee. -Luke T., San Jose, CA, 12/8/2017
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We wanted to update and amend our 13 year old living trust and will. Although James is in the East Bay, we were able to conduct all our business via conference calls and emails. The whole process took only three weeks. Throughout, James was professional and thorough. He helped us think about provisions and documents that our previous estate attorney had not considered, such as personal property memos and a digital assets inventory. James was very clear about each step and even gave us a list of homework items to summarize actions we needed to take. He was very prompt in responding to all our questions and emails within 1-2 days. The final product was a high quality professional binder which organized all of our documents, plus a digital copy of our documents stored on a flash drive. Instead of a drudgery, James' efficient and capable manner made the process so quick and easy for us. -Susie W., San Francisco, 12/7/2017
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James handled my mother's estate plan and did such an excellent (and exceptionally well priced) job that I used him for mine as well. I've also recommended him to friends. Working with James was an absolute pleasure. He's organized, efficient and detail-oriented. He also excels at translating the baroque web of CA probate law into plain English so that I could make informed decisions about my estate. I would strongly recommend James to anyone in need of a wills, trusts or probate attorney. -Bob B., Santa Monica, California, 9/3/2017
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I recently had the thought to make some changes to my existing will and trust estate docs, and the first person I sought out was James! I sent him my current documents and we were able to get everything done via email and phone. I wasn't in a hurry for the updated docs, but he was able to make the necessary changes quickly. He was extremely professional, fairly priced, responsive, and knowledgeable. The changes were made, and I received the new binder plus a flash drive of all my info for digital purposes. I'd highly recommend James for setting up new wills, trusts, and other estate documents, as well as updating old ones! -Katie C., Los Angeles, California, 8/14/2017
The above testimonials do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.