Business Details
Estate Planning & Trust Services in Irvine, CA
For nearly three decades, the Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick have provided comprehensive estate planning, trust administration, and probate services to individuals and families in Orange County and beyond. Our practice emphasizes wealth preservation, personalized planning, and avoiding costly judicial processes through customized legal solutions. We prioritize client education, collaborating with financial advisors, insurance professionals, and CPAs to create holistic strategies that address disability planning, tax minimization, asset protection, and multi-generational legacy goals.Our three-step planning process ensures ongoing updates and post-disability or post-death administration support. Certified by the State Bar of California in estate planning, trust, and probate law, we combine technical expertise with a commitment to protecting clients' values and family dynamics while avoiding common pitfalls like unfunded trusts and inadequate tax planning.
Services
Estate Planning
Living Trusts
Probate Law
Asset Protection
Tax Planning
Trust Administration
Special Needs Trusts
Medi-Cal Planning
Business Planning
Retirement Strategies
Highlights and features
- Certified expertise in estate planning, trust, and probate law by the State Bar of California
- Three-decade track record serving Orange County families and business owners
- Collaborative team approach with financial advisors and tax professionals
- Customized solutions avoiding generic 'boilerplate' trust failures
- Proven strategies to eliminate estate taxes and prevent family disputes
Associations and certifications
- State Bar of California
What people say
Exceptionally keen analytical mind
Compassionate estate planner
Thorough planning process
Technical competence
Consummate professional
Services
Estate Planning
Comprehensive estate plans ensure your assets go to intended beneficiaries while minimizing taxes and avoiding probate. We create customized wills, trusts, and advanced healthcare directives that address disability planning, family dynamics, and wealth preservation. Our process includes analyzing current net worth, projecting growth, and implementing strategies to protect assets from creditors and unnecessary taxation.
Living Trusts
Living trusts allow private asset distribution without probate court involvement. We design trusts that maintain control during life, provide disability management, and specify detailed distribution instructions. Our approach ensures proper funding through asset re-titling and includes provisions for tax savings, remarriage protection, and special needs beneficiaries while avoiding common pitfalls that cause trusts to fail.
Probate Law
We guide executors through California's probate process, which involves asset inventory, debt settlement, tax filings, and court-supervised distribution. Our services help streamline complex probates exceeding $100,000 in value, which typically incur 4-8% in combined attorney and executor fees. We also represent beneficiaries in contested estate matters.
Asset Protection
Our asset protection strategies defend against litigation risks through legal entity structuring, insurance coordination, and strategic asset transfers. We help professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals implement California-compliant plans that separate risky assets, utilize exemptions, and create barriers against creditors while maintaining ethical and legal compliance.
Tax Planning
We develop tax-efficient strategies to minimize estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes. Current plans leverage $12.92 million exemptions while preparing for future legislative changes. Techniques include marital trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and business succession planning that reduce taxable estates and preserve wealth across multiple generations.
People
Michael J. Wittick
Attorney
Certified estate planning attorney with nearly three decades of experience in Orange County. Specializes in complex trust structures, probate avoidance, and multi-generational wealth transfer. Teaches estate planning to professionals and develops collaborative strategies with financial advisors to create comprehensive client solutions.
Questions
What services does the Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick offer?
We specialize in estate planning, living trusts, probate law, asset protection, tax planning, trust administration, special needs trusts, and business succession planning.
Why choose a living trust over a will?
Living trusts avoid probate, plan for disability, control asset distribution, and maintain privacy compared to public wills that require court supervision.
How can I protect assets from lawsuits?
We implement strategies like business entities, insurance coordination, and domestic trusts to safeguard assets while maintaining compliance with California's creditor laws.
What happens if I die without a trust?
Your estate will go through probate, a public, expensive process where the court distributes assets according to state law rather than your wishes.
How do you coordinate with financial advisors?
We collaborate with CPAs, insurance professionals, and financial planners to create integrated plans that align tax strategies, investment management, and estate goals.
What's included in comprehensive estate planning?
Our process covers disability planning, tax minimization, guardian designation, asset protection, business succession, and multi-generational wealth transfer tailored to individual needs.
