Top Best Estate Lawyers | 18268 Available

Lorilee DeSantis is an attorney whose passion for helping families protect their loved ones and their assets shines through to all who work with her. Lorilee’s clients often comment that her ability to deeply listen and understand their concerns makes it very easy for them to talk to her about difficult subjects. Her clients also appreciate that Lorilee explains complex legal concepts in ways that are easy to digest so that clients fully understand their legal options.. Lorilee’s dedication to helping people with family-oriented legal issues stems from personal experiences. When Lorilee was growing up, she saw numerous extended family members tear each other apart while arguing over money and sibling rivalries. She felt this was a terrible thing to happen to a family, and relationships might have been saved if proper estate planning had been done to prevent such arguments. Lorilee is also keenly aware of the emotions people feel when they go through a divorce – such as anger, regret, resentment, shame, relief, and fear – because she experienced a divorce before she attended law school. These experiences motivated her to practice family law and estate planning because these legal fields are where Lorilee feels she can most effectively empower her clients to move forward in life, confident that their children and their assets will be protected to the best of their abilities.. Lorilee is a strong believer in giving back to the community. She has volunteered at the Family Law Facilitator’s Office where she has helped under-privileged, self-represented individuals prepare pleadings for divorces and legal separations. In honor of her dedication, the Sonoma County Superior Court presented Lorilee with the Pro Bono Award in 2012. Through her Rotary club, Lorilee has also helped feed local homeless children and raise money for breast cancer research.. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Lorilee worked in the financial services industry. Her experience in that industry enables her to synthesize a knowledge of investments and general finance into various aspects of family law and estate planning.

I was born and raised in Petaluma, Sonoma County, as were my parents.. I attended Santa Rosa Junior College and University of San Francisco, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree (Summa Cum Laude, in two majors). In 1979, I graduated from USF School of Law, and passed the Bar.. While in law school, I spent two semesters as Research Clerk for Judge William B. Boone.. Several years ago, I began to realize that many lawyers in estate planning are like generals fighting the last war. Like our clients, we worry about probate (inconvenient and expensive, but not necessarily ruinous) and taxes (no longer a concern to most of our clients).. Instead, we should be concerned with those issues raised by longer life expectancies, medical planning, and the need to plan for an extended old age. Specifically, we need to concern ourselves (and explain to our clients) about matters like the Durable Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive, and planning to protect assets for our clients' loved ones in case of nursing home care.

I have been practicing law for 8 years,  and joined the Law Offices of Bridget Mackay as an assoicate attorney in 2017.  My practice focuses on estate planning, probate and trust administration, and elder law.  I am proud to offer such a vital service to the people in my community.. I am a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, the Sonoma County Bar Association, and am on the Board of Directors for the Petaluma Animal Services Foundation.