Why You Need a Certified Specialist
Why would you choose a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning rather than a competent lawyer who seems experienced and may even charge less for his services? Well, ask yourself this question: if you needed to have a serious operation, would you choose a competent family physician to do it, or would you choose a doctor who is board certified in surgery?
The answer most certainly is that you would choose a board-certified physician, because you would want the best care and the most experienced judgment. And you would want your surgeon to be aware of the latest techniques and advances in surgery, so that you would be in the best possible hands. When it comes to estate planning, you want someone who has vast experience in a range of situations and issues, who will be up-to-date on current state, federal and tax law, and who has demonstrated his expertise to the satisfaction of a very stringent board of specialization.
The California State Bar Association is the governing body for all lawyers in California, and all lawyers are licensed members. But the State Bar recognizes eight specific areas of specialty practice, and only those who have met the stringent requirements to achieve certified status may represent themselves as "specialists" in these areas of law.
One of the practice areas recognized as deserving of certification is Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate. This designation of Certified Specialist in this field is held by fewer than ½ of 1% of all attorneys in California. Galen Griepp was awarded this designation in August 2001.
You might be wondering what requirements Galen had to meet, in order to earn this certification. What makes a Certified Specialist uniquely qualified to help you? Why aren’t there more certified specialists in the trust and probate field?
The requirements for certification as a specialist include the demonstration of expertise in several specific areas of practice, which may include tax planning matters, tax procedures or tax returns, including tax opinions, memoranda, advice letters, tax-sensitive wills, trusts or other dispositive instruments; expertise in estate and incapacity plans, including wills, trusts, custodianship, documents of title, beneficiary clauses, property agreements, powers of attorney, advanced health care directives ("living wills"), gifts, powers of appointment, disclaimers, public benefits plans. An applicant must show evidence of involvement in administration procedures for estates, trusts, and a number of other procedures under the Probate Code, must demonstrate a number of completed transfers of assets, including tax issues, tax returns or tax basis problems.
A candidate for certification must also show that (s)he has met a high standard for continuing education in estate planning, trust and probate law. He must submit a number of favorable references from judges and attorneys who are familiar with his work in estate planning, AND he must pass a rigorous examination given by the State Bar Board of Specialization.
As you can see, such designations are not available to less-experienced lawyers, to those who maintain a catch-all law practice, or to those who cannot demonstrate specific expertise in estate planning, including broad experience and excellent references.
We hope and believe that when you choose to become a client of our law office, it is because you are confident that your estate planning is in the "best possible hands!"
