Janet Brewer - Trusts & Estates Law - Wills/Estate Planning - Money

About > AllExperts
	Search for

Main Menu

Login (Experts Only)

About Us · FAQ · Tell Friends About Us · Link To Us · Free Encyclopedia · Disclaimer · Tech Support

You are here: AllExperts > Money > Wills/Estate Planning > Trusts & Estates Law

Expert Profile: Janet Brewer

Expertise: I am available to answer questions about probating estates, preparing wills and trusts, administering estates and trusts, forming family limited partnerships and limited liability companies, and establishing a wide variety of estate and gift tax-sensitive trusts (charitable trusts, children's trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, etc.).

I can also answer questions regarding the preparation of estate tax returns (Form 706) in taxable estates.

Please note: I am only able to practice law in the State of California. I cannot answer specific questions about other states' laws; I can only provide some "general" information that may or may not apply to your situation.

Experience in the area
I have practiced California estate, gift-planning, and probate law exclusively since 1991. I am certified as a specialist in estate planning and probate law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization (there are less than 125 such specialists practicing in Santa Clara County and fewer than 7,000 practicing in California - out of over 170,000 lawyers statewide).

I have served as an Instructor in the CFP (certificate in financial planning) program at University of California – Santa Cruz, teaching the estate planning segment.

Organizations
Silicon Valley Bar Association
Wealth Counsel
Wealth Advisors' Forum

Education/Credentials
I received my law degree (J.D.) from University of Denver Law School in 1975. I was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1975 and to the California Bar in 1977 (NOTE: although I am a member of the Colorado Bar, I am on INACTIVE status there). I earned an M.B.A. in 1982, and I am currently studying for a Masters Degree in Taxation Law (LLM) at Golden Gate University Law School.
More at:
http://www.calprobate.com

Awards and Honors
2007 and 2008 - chosen as a "SuperLawyer" - one of the top 5% of Northern California lawyers practicing in the estate planning and probate area (www.superlawyers.com)

Ask a Question	View Past Answers	View Ratings

Average Ratings
Prestige Points: 3050
Knowledge	9.90 Best of the best
Clarity of Response	9.94 Best of the best
Timeliness	9.96 Best of the best
Politeness	9.96 Best of the best
Number Of Questions (in Past 24 Hours)		0
Max Questions to be Asked (in 24 Hour period)		3
Total Questions (since joining AllExperts)		309

Recent Reviews from Users

Knowl	Clarity	Time	Politeness	Date
10	10	10	10	12/01/08
10	10	10	10	11/24/08
10	10	10	10	11/24/08
10	10	10	10	11/22/08
10	10	10	10	11/19/08

User Comments

Ms. Brewer's responses to my questions were prompt, detailed, and honest. She replied in terms even I could grasp, and I couldn't be more pleased. Sh
(Frank on 12/01/08)

I really appreciated the prompt reply; it is exactly what I needed to know.
(Jill on 11/24/08)

Janet, your answer was perfect. It was exactly what we needed to hear. I sent it to the siblings and tonight we had a 2.5 hour 3-way phone conversat
(Kurt on 11/24/08)

I truly would go to this person if we lived in Ca. Honesty, very plain to understand, and a very quick response.
(Becky on 11/22/08)

Thanks again Janet for explaining this in such a clear fashion. We very much appreciate it, and wish you were back in Colorado!!
(Jeanie on 11/19/08)

View All Comments

Ask a Question	View Past Answers	View Ratings

Recent Answers from Janet Brewer

2008-12-01 Life insurance benefit disclaimers: The key to your question is in this statement "she wasn't able to disclaim the benefits of the policies SHE owned on her spouse's life". Since she was the owner, her spouse's death didn't change that...

2008-12-01 Successor Trustees: You're right. Having to use a lawyer to "settle" the trust does take away some of the cost savings. How much a trust saves (vs. a probate) depends on the state. In California, for example, the fees...

2008-12-01 Successor Trustees: You don't say in which state you live, so I'll provide a general answer using California law. In California the answer depends a little on what types of assets are involved. If the asset is real estate...

2008-11-30 Regarding my Grandmother's will: Since your grandmother was living in Nevada at the time of her death but up until then she had been a resident of California, it's not clear which state's laws apply to her estate (I'd need to do some...

2008-11-27 Death & Debts Owed.: Thanks for your question. You don't provide a lot of background information, so my answer is fairly general. The short answer is that the person who inherits the asset usually is also responsible...