Our office serves clients throughout the Woodland Hills, San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, Encino, Tarzana, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, West Hills, Granada Hills, Pacific Palisades, Westwood, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and Malibu areas for California Living Trusts and all other aspects of estate planning.
Our Woodland Hills Estate Planning office is headed by our CEO and founder Jim Cunningham, and serves clients throughout the area of Woodland Hills and nearby communities.
Here you’re invited to access CunninghamLegal’s complete team and set of California Legal Services, including California Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Asset Protection, Probate Law, Elder Law, and much more.
About Woodland Hills Estate Attorney James L. Cunningham, Jr
Jim Cunningham is the founder and president of CunninghamLegal, the bestselling author of the book Savvy Estate Planning, and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Specialization — a rare distinction. He is a frequent speaker on estate planning topics, and serves as lead attorney for the entire CunninghamLegal team.
Jim’s professional memberships include the California State Bar, Ventura County Bar Association, El Dorado County Bar Association, WealthCounsel, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), California Advocates for Nursing Care Reform (CANHR), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Vistage International, and Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association.
Other Local Estate Attorney Offices Now Served By CunninghamLegal
We have been entrusted with the records, documents, and continuing care of clients from the retired offices of several local estate planning attorneys. The offices of Estate Attorney Fredrick J. Weitkamp in Granada Hills, and Estate Attorney Jeffrey M. Sydney in Woodland Hills are now served by CunninghamLegal’s Woodland Hills office. If you have come here looking to update an Estate Plan, Will or Trust, we would be more than happy to continue these lawyers’ excellent work by assisting you!
Why Having an Estate Planning Specialist is Vital
Choosing a Living Trust attorney isn’t easy, nor should it be.
Estate Planning is a dynamic field that demands focused expertise and a highly specific skill set. Often, lawyers handle estate plans as a small side business, and just don’t have the ability to stay current with ever-shifting California inheritance or “Death Tax” laws, not to mention federal changes on everything from trusts to taxes to IRA laws. The years 2014, 2017, 2019, and especially 2020 saw many changes to estate law, which should definitely trigger a re-think of everyone’s estate plan.
To keep up, every attorney in our practice spends a lot of time each month on professional development—making sure to attend webinars and seminars when they aren’t giving webinars and seminars themselves.
You may have searched “living trust attorney near me,” which is a good start, but you need to give your choice of attorney serious consideration. And please, don’t depend on some online trust mill. Creating a Living Trust is way too important for a robot, and every trust requires extremely personal customization, no matter how simple you think your situation may be.
Why Local Really Matters
Having a local office also matters a lot when it comes to your estate planning attorney.
Estate Planning is an unusually personal relationship. And even as the world moves to video conferencing with Zoom, FaceTime, etc., you will always want an attorney with a local office for signings and paperwork.
Just as importantly, only a full-time Woodland Hills, Encino, West Hills, Granada Hills, Pacific Palisades, Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or Malibu estate attorney will maintain the right estate-related contacts with local accountants and financial planners—they can and should work together for you.
What Does CunninghamLegal Do?
The staff and attorneys at CunninghamLegal help people plan for some of the most challenging times in their lives and provide guidance when those times come.
Our office has represented families of every imaginable type, large and small businesses, high-profile clients, professionals, and people at every level of income and asset complexity. Many of our clients come to us after they’ve gone through the loss of a loved one like a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a partner, or grandparent. We help provide stability during those tough times, with the goal of guiding and protecting every client. That includes Trust Administration, and helping new Trustees understand what to do after a death.
We always approach our work with ethics, knowledge, care, and caring.
Make sure your Last Will & Testament, your Living Will and Health Care Directive, Living Trust, Powers of Attorney, 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!
Make an appointment to meet with CunninghamLegal Woodland Hills for Estate Planning and Trust Administration. We offer in-person, phone, and Zoom appointments. Just call (818) 594-0500, or book an appointment online.
