Top Estate Planning Lawyers Near Me in FRESNO Area

Philip M. Flanigan holds a B.S. degree from California State University-Fresno and a J.D. degree from Pepperdine University School of Law, having graduated cum laude. Mr. Flanigan is a member of the California State Bar Association, the Trusts and Estates Section of the State Bar, the Fresno County Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, a member of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, and WealthCounsel, LLC. Mr. Flanigan holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.Mr. Flanigan devotes his practice exclusively to the counseling and representation of clients in the areas of estate planning, wills and trusts, Medi-Cal planning and probate and estate administration and has helped hundreds of families just like yours protect their assets and provide for their loved ones.In addition to his busy practice, Mr. Flanigan is a frequent speaker on estate and Medi-Cal planning topics, regularly presenting educational seminars for public as well as private groups.

Mr. Kapheim is a graduate of Dinuba High School (2008), California State University Sacramento (2012, B.A., English), and University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (2016, J.D., Health Law Concentration). He was a certified law clerk in the McGeorge Elder and Health Law legal clinic in 2016. Mr. Kapheim is a member of the State Bar of California and his concentrations are in estate planning, probate, and trust administration

I was born and raised in Fresno, California and have lived in Fresno all of my life except for a two year period (1970-1972) when I lived in Goleta, California attending the University of California at Santa Barbara. I am the grandson of immigrants.  My paternal and maternal grandparents are Volga- Deutsch (Germans from Russia) having immigrated to the United States from the Volga Region of Russia just prior to the Russian Revolution. I am married and have two daughters, two step-sons, one grandchild and two step-grandchildren.  My hobbies include beginning  photography, walking, reading (legal and political thrillers, history, biographies) and legal career has been quite varied.  Upon my admission to the State Bar of California in November of 1978, I opened a private practice.  I then joined the Fresno County Public Defenders' Office in late 1979 where I was a defense attorney until late 1988.  In 1985, the Calfornia State Bar certified me as as a Criminal Law Specialist.  While at the public defenders' office I tried over 50 jury  trials and represented defendants in cases ranging from petty theft to the death 1989, I joined the Fresno Office of a state wide law firm now known as Ericksen, Arbuthnot where I was  the Assistant Managing Partner of the Fresno Office from 1989 to 1994 and  the Managing Partner of the Fresno Office from 1994 to 1996.  During that period of time I practiced civil law and represented defendants in product liability cases, medical mal-practice cases and wrongful death and catastropic personal injury cases. I started my solo private practice in 1997 and currently limit my practice to estate planning (drafting wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, first party and third party special needs trusts, durable powers of attorney and health care directives); probate; trust administration; and trust and estate litigation representing the fiduciary (executor or administrator of a probate estate or trustee of a trust) and the benefriciary of a probate estate or of a trust. I am a member of the State Bar of California and its Wills and Trusts Section; a member of the Fresno County Bar Association and its Probate Section; a member of the Fresno Estate Planning Council; a member of the American Bar Association; and the Fresno County Better Business Bureau.  I was a past  member of Kiwanis (1995 to 2001 and then again from 2004 to 2009) and the President of a local Kiwanis Club from 1997 to 1998 where I was awarded the Distingusihed Service Award for the year 1998 to 1999.  I was a member of the Board of Directors for Lutheran Social Services for Northern California from 1995 to 2000 and on the Board of Directors for the Fresno Branch of the American Diabetes Association during the latter part of the 1990's.  I have been practicing law for 37 years and have no current plans to retire.

I currently work as the Family Law Information Center Attorney for Fresno Superior Court.  We provide free assistance and information to unrepresented litigants in Family Law cases.  We do not represent either party in a case but provide legal information and help with filling out forms.

I assist businesses and individuals in employment, construction, business, real estate, and agricultural matters.

As the Chair of DAK’s Business Department, Larry counsels business owners and companies in a variety of industries. In addition to counseling numerous established companies of all sizes, he assists start up and technology companies in initial formation, strategy, growth and capital needs. His breadth of legal and business experience provides him with the tools to prepare and analyze virtually any agreement which may be required in a client’s operations. Larry also focuses a significant portion of his practice on mergers and acquisitions, enabling clients to take advantage of opportunities to grow and develop their business.. Larry works closely with individuals and business owners to assist them with their personal estate, tax and business succession planning. These services involve living trusts, irrevocable trusts, entity structure and formation, buy-sell agreements and a variety of advanced estate planning techniques.. In addition, Larry negotiates and structures sophisticated commercial real estate and loan transactions. Larry’s services involve real estate purchase agreements, leases, loan documentation, Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 Exchanges and related matters.

A practicing attorney since 1999, Natalie is an experienced litigator whose specialties include estate planning, decedents' probate and trust administration, and conservatorship and guardianship practice.  A former probate examiner and research attorney for the Superior Court of Fresno County, Natalie has prepared numerous estate plans, including simple trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, and is highly skilled in the various petitions and legal issues handled in the probate court.  Natalie is a court-appointed attorney for the Fresno County Probate Court, and she is licensed to practice in all California courts.