Westlake Village, California · Serving families throughout California
Protect your family.
Preserve your legacy.
Thoughtful estate planning and trusts for families who want to care for one another, preserve what they’ve built and leave a lasting legacy for their children and grandchildren.
Book a complimentary consultationA complimentary consultation with our attorney to answer your questions and see how we can help.
Already a client?Our approach
Comprehensive planning.
Thoughtful follow-through.
Your family, your assets and your wishes are connected. Your estate plan should reflect those connections.
At Acorn Law, we help you work through the decisions that matter to your family and bring them together in a comprehensive plan. That includes attention to how your assets and accounts align with your plan, how retirement accounts fit into your wishes and how decisions made today may affect the next generation.
Thoughtful planning takes your involvement. We welcome clients who want to understand their choices, consider the details and take an active part in shaping their family’s future.
Schedule a consultationUpdating an existing trust
Already have a trust?
Let’s make sure it reflects your life today.
We welcome clients whose trusts were prepared by another attorney.
Your family, your assets or your wishes may have changed since you signed your trust. You may want to update who will act for you, revisit how an inheritance will be distributed, or simply understand whether your existing plan still fits.
We review your existing documents, talk through what matters to you now and explain the updates we recommend. Together, we consider how your trust, related documents, asset ownership and beneficiary designations work as a whole.
Discuss updating your trustPlanning considerations
Planning around the decisions your family faces
Every family brings its own priorities and questions. Your planning may include:
Select a topic to explore the details.
Passing wealth to the next generationChildren, grandchildren and the legacy you want to leave.
Plan how your wealth will pass to your children and grandchildren, with attention to their needs, your wishes, and the legacy you want to leave.
Lifetime giftingSupporting loved ones during your lifetime.
Consider whether making gifts during your lifetime fits your family’s goals, how best to structure those gifts, and the tax implications for you and those receiving them. Thoughtful planning can help you support loved ones today while preserving your own financial security.
Protecting your family’s wealthRisks that may affect who benefits from an inheritance.
Plan with an eye toward the risks that can affect an inheritance, including divorce, remarriage, creditor claims and unintended changes in who ultimately benefits. Thoughtful planning can help preserve what you’ve built for the people you intend to provide for.
An inheritance with lasting purposeWhen and how your loved ones receive their inheritance.
Consider when and how your loved ones receive an inheritance, with flexibility for their readiness, needs and circumstances. A thoughtfully structured plan can support responsible choices and opportunities that reflect your family’s values.
Retirement accountsBeneficiary choices and your broader estate plan.
Bring qualified retirement accounts into the broader plan, with attention to beneficiary choices, tax considerations and what you hope these assets will provide for your family.
Planning for California real estate, asset protection, and property tax concernsYour home, other property and the next generation.
Consider how your home and other real estate fit into your broader estate plan, with attention to ownership, potential risks, and California property-tax implications when property passes to the next generation.
Blended familiesProviding for a spouse, children and other loved ones.
Think carefully about the needs of your spouse, children and other loved ones, and how your plan can reflect the commitments that matter to you.
Protecting your wishes during incapacityTrusted decision-makers and clear guidance.
Plan for a time when you may need help making decisions, with trusted people and clear guidance in place. Thoughtful safeguards can help protect against undue influence and keep your affairs private, with decisions guided by your wishes and the people you trust rather than left to a court.
Special needs planningLong-term support for a loved one with special needs.
Plan thoughtfully for a loved one with special needs, taking their circumstances and long-term support into account.
Meaningful charitable givingThe causes you care about and your family’s needs.
Make room for the causes you care about and consider how charitable giving fits with your family’s needs and the legacy you want to leave.
Planning and ongoing guidance
Comprehensive planning.
A lasting relationship.
A complete estate plan brings your documents, your assets, and your wishes into alignment. We guide you through updating account ownership and beneficiary designations where needed, so the details work together.
Our relationship continues as your life and family evolve. We help you keep your plan current and provide guidance to the people you’ve chosen to carry out your wishes when the time comes.
At Acorn Law, we often work with multiple generations of the same family, building relationships that help us understand what matters to you and be there for your loved ones when they need us.
In their words
Selected client experiences
His help and guidance have been a huge comfort to me.
…an outstanding job in educating us in the complexities of trusts.
Everyone was very patient and clear about our Living Trust. All of our questions were answered.
They explained everything to us so that we understood and gave us valuable advice.
His demeanor is comforting while making hard decisions.
Client experiences vary. Testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of results in any matter.
Meet Marc
Start with a conversation with Marc
Marc Mackenzie
Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
Your initial consultation is an opportunity to share what brings you here, ask questions and discuss what you hope to accomplish.
You’ll meet with attorney Marc Mackenzie for 30 minutes to explore whether Acorn Law is a good fit for your planning needs.
Book a complimentary consultation More about MarcExisting clients
Already an Acorn Law client?
Have a question about your existing plan or want to discuss a trust update? Book a 30-minute appointment.
You can also call us at 805-409-3878.
Prefer not to schedule? Contact us.
Choose Zoom or phone when you book.