Estate Planning · Serving San Diego & All of California
Leaving your home to your family
shouldn’t cost them tens of thousands.
In California, an unplanned estate pays statutory fees calculated on the gross value of your home — before subtracting the mortgage. On a typical San Diego house, that is $40,000 or more that never reaches your family. It is one of the few big costs that can be avoided completely.
Book your consultation
Step 1 — pick your time below. Step 2 — pay the $300 consultation fee via the secure LawPay link on your confirmation screen and email. IMPORTANT: Booking reserves your time slot only. Your consultation is confirmed once payment is received — unpaid appointments are canceled before the consultation.
Loading scheduler…
The initial consultation is $300 for a full hour of attorney time, in two parts. Part 1 (30 minutes): we meet by video, and I gather information and ask questions to understand your situation and the scope of work. Then I prepare a short memo for you summarizing what I recommend and a written flat quote. Part 2 (30 minutes): after you’ve reviewed the memo, we reconvene and I answer your questions. If you decide to move forward, the full $300 is credited toward your flat fee — so the consultation effectively costs nothing.
Consultations may be recorded for accuracy and record-keeping; by booking and attending, you consent to recording.
Scheduling here does not create an attorney–client relationship. Please keep confidential details out of the booking notes until an engagement agreement is signed.
The other problem
Proposition 19 changed what your children inherit.
Before 2021, a child could inherit a parent’s home and keep the parent’s property tax basis. A house bought in 1994 kept being taxed roughly like it was 1994.
Since February 2021, that exclusion applies only if the child makes the home their own primary residence, and even then only up to a cap. Otherwise the property is reassessed at current market value.
In San Diego, that can multiply the annual property tax bill several times over. It is the reason families end up selling the house they meant to keep.
Practice areas
What can be settled ahead of time.
Revocable Living Trusts
Keeps the house out of probate, keeps the terms private, and stays fully changeable while you are alive.
Learn moreWills
Names guardians for minor children and directs anything a trust does not already hold.
Learn morePowers of Attorney & Health Directives
Who decides about your money and your medical care if you cannot. Without these, the answer is a court.
Learn moreTrust Administration
Step-by-step guidance for the person left holding the responsibility after a death.
Learn moreProbate
When there was no plan, or the plan missed something. Court supervision, statutory fees, public record.
Learn moreMedi-Cal Planning
Long-term care costs more than most estates can absorb. Planning changes what survives it.
Learn moreOn the horizon
Trademarks, Copyright & Patent Litigation: Now Open · Patent Prosecution: Coming SoonIntellectual Property
Trademark and copyright services — federal filings, registrations, and counseling — are available now, as is patent litigation in federal district court. Patent prosecution is coming soon: Ivan sits for the USPTO patent registration examination on September 1, 2026, and prosecution before the USPTO will open upon his admission to the patent bar.
If you have a trademark, copyright, or patent dispute, get in touch today; if you have an invention to file, mention it and we will notify you when that practice opens.
How it works
Simple, and at your pace.
Everything is handled remotely — video consultations, secure document review, and a mobile notary who comes to you for signing. No office visit required.
A relaxed conversation
We start with a friendly talk about your family and what is on your mind. No pressure, and no obligation to go any further.
A plan that fits you
If it would help, we suggest what might make sense for your situation. You decide whether, and when, to move ahead.
We handle the paperwork
When you are ready, we prepare everything and go over it together, at whatever pace feels comfortable to you.
Signed when you are ready
You sign only once you feel good about it, and we make sure everything is properly in place.
The attorney
Ivan Alexandrovich
Ivan serves San Diego families and clients throughout California. He is admitted to the State Bar of California and is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
The core of the practice is estate planning: trusts, wills, powers of attorney, trust administration, and probate. Intellectual property work — trademarks, copyright, and patent litigation — is offered alongside it, together with contracts and prenuptial agreements, with patent prosecution opening upon admission to the patent bar. Every client works directly with Ivan.
Every client works directly with Ivan. He answers the calls. He drafts the documents.
Alexandrovich
Common questions
What people ask first.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
If you own real property in California, a will alone almost certainly sends your estate through probate. A will directs who receives what; it does not avoid court. A funded revocable living trust is what keeps the house out of probate. If you rent and your assets are modest, a will plus beneficiary designations may genuinely be enough, and you should be told that rather than sold a trust.
How long does California probate actually take?
Nine to eighteen months is typical for a straightforward estate, and contested matters run considerably longer. During that time the property generally cannot be sold or distributed without court authority.
Is the probate fee really based on the gross value?
Yes. Probate Code §10810 calculates statutory compensation on the gross value of the estate, without subtracting mortgages or other debts. A home worth $900,000 with a $600,000 mortgage is treated as $900,000 for fee purposes, not $300,000. This surprises nearly everyone.
What does Proposition 19 mean for my children?
If a child inherits your home and makes it their own primary residence, a limited exclusion may preserve part of your property tax basis. If they keep it as a rental or a second home, it is reassessed at current market value. There are planning options, but most of them must be put in place while you are alive.
Can we do this in Spanish?
Yes. Consultations and document review are available in Spanish.
Do you take matters outside estate planning and intellectual property?
Contracts and prenuptial agreements are standing practice areas. Other general-practice matters are accepted case-by-case, at the firm’s discretion — the best way to find out is to get in touch and ask.
What does it cost?
The initial consultation is $300 for a full hour of attorney time, in two parts. Part 1 (30 minutes): we meet by video, and I gather information and ask questions to understand your situation and the scope of work. Then I prepare a short memo for you summarizing what I recommend and a written flat quote. Part 2 (30 minutes): after you’ve reviewed the memo, we reconvene and I answer your questions. If you decide to move forward, the full $300 is credited toward your flat fee — so the consultation effectively costs nothing. Any work outside a flat-fee scope is billed at $300 per hour and is always approved with you first.
Schedule
Let’s talk about your family.
A one-hour consultation. Choose a time that suits you on the calendar — you will get an instant confirmation.
The initial consultation is $300 for a full hour of attorney time, in two parts. Part 1 (30 minutes): we meet by video, and I gather information and ask questions to understand your situation and the scope of work. Then I prepare a short memo for you summarizing what I recommend and a written flat quote. Part 2 (30 minutes): after you’ve reviewed the memo, we reconvene and I answer your questions. If you decide to move forward, the full $300 is credited toward your flat fee — so the consultation effectively costs nothing.
- Phone
- (619) 384-2957
- Mailing address
- 8549 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 2521
Beverly Hills, CA 90211 - Hours
- Monday–Friday, by appointment
Ready when you are
Open the calendar, pick a time, and you are booked. No waiting to hear back.