Pasadena Office
Proudly Serving Pasadena and the
surrounding communities in Southern California
Best Estate Planning Attorneys in Pasadena, California
Experienced Estate Planning attorneys in Pasadena, California, specializing in California Living Trusts
About CunninghamLegal, Pasadena
Wherever you happen to live, partnering with the right attorney is a crucial step in estate planning, tax planning, and trust administration. From our Pasadena office, we help individuals, families, trustees, and business owners with Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Business Law, and Tax Planning.
Whether you need to create or update a Living Trust, administer a trust after the death of a loved one, plan for estate and gift taxes, or coordinate your estate plan with other tax planning strategies, our attorneys provide practical guidance built around California and federal law.
Parking & Directions
Parking is available at our Pasadena office at 301 N. Lake Ave., Suite 770, Pasadena, CA 91101. For visits of 30 minutes or less, five designated 30-minute parking spaces are located directly outside the building.
For longer appointments, including initial consultations and signings, please use the underground visitor parking on levels P1–P4 and park in any unreserved space. We’ll validate your parking at no charge.
Our office is one block south of the 210 Freeway near Lake Avenue and Locust Street. From either direction, exit the 210 at Lake Avenue, turn onto Locust Street, and enter the building’s parking area.
Our office is in Suite 770 on the seventh floor. After parking, take the elevator to the lobby and check in with the concierge for seventh-floor access, then follow the signs to our office. If you have difficulty finding our office or parking, please call our office and our team can assist you.
301 N Lake Ave
Suite 770
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: (626) 585-6970
Hours: Monday-Friday || 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Clients We Serve in Pasadena
- We represent families, individuals, professionals, celebrities, and businesses of all sizes and asset levels
- We review and update estate planning documents, including Wills, Living Trusts, Health Care Directives, and Powers of Attorney
- We support clients after the loss of a loved one, providing stability and guidance
- We assist with Trust Administration and help new Trustees understand their responsibilities and help protect themselves and fulfill their duties
- We help business owners structure, manage, and transition their companies while integrating them into their estate plans
Practice Areas
Find The Right Path For You
CunninghamLegal helps individuals, families, and business owners plan with confidence through thoughtful, comprehensive planning and trusted guidance. While our core focus is estate planning, trust administration, tax planning, and business planning, we also guide clients through asset protection, special needs planning, real estate matters, Proposition 19 planning, and more.
Part of the Pasadena Community
Our Pasadena Estate Planning office, headed by our CEO and founder Jim Cunningham, serves clients throughout Los Angeles County and its nearby communities, including Altadena, San Marino, Arcadia, South Pasadena, Glendale, Alhambra, and surrounding San Gabriel Valley communities.
Our Pasadena office is close to some of the places that really define this community. Caltech, with its long history of science, research, and innovation, is nearby. So is The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, one of the area’s great cultural and historic institutions. And not far from our office is the Pasadena Civic Center District, with its landmark architecture and long connection to the civic life of the city.
These aren’t just Pasadena landmarks. They’re part of the community around our office and the community where our clients live, work, own homes, raise families, and build their lives. Being here matters. Estate planning is personal, and every family is different. We’re not just an estate planning firm serving Pasadena. We’re part of the community, and we’re here to help our neighbors plan ahead and get the details right.
Pasadena Estate Planning Attorney Practice Acquisitions: Trusted by Professionals
CunninghamLegal has extensive experience acquiring estate planning, trust administration, and real estate practices in Pasadena, reflecting the deep trust placed in us by fellow professionals to carry their life’s work forward. We are grateful for that trust and remain committed to honoring their legacies while continuing to serve their clients and the community with continuity, care, and respect.
Continuing Attorney Jan Copley’s Legacy
After more than 30 years serving Pasadena families, Attorney Jan Copley is retiring and has chosen CunninghamLegal to carry Pasadena Law Group and her practice forward. Jan built her firm around personal relationships, thoughtful planning, and helping generations of local families protect what they have worked so hard to build.
For longtime Pasadena Law Group clients, our goal is to make this change as comfortable and seamless as possible. If Jan prepared your estate plan and you need a copy of your file, want to update your plan, or simply have questions about what comes next, please contact CunninghamLegal. We are honored that Jan trusted CunninghamLegal with the practice she spent decades building and, most importantly, with the families who trusted her.
Continuing Attorney Stephen P. Bezaire’s Legacy
After decades of practicing law in Pasadena, Attorney Stephen P. Bezaire retired and entrusted his estate planning clients and files from Bezaire Law Offices to CunninghamLegal. Stephen built a respected local practice helping individuals and families plan for the future, and we are proud to continue serving the clients who relied on his guidance over the years.
As part of that transition, CunninghamLegal became the resource for Stephen’s former clients when their estate plans need attention. That might mean locating an old trust, reviewing documents that have not been touched in years, updating a plan after a major life change, or helping a family administer a trust after someone has passed away.
If you were a client of Stephen Bezaire and need your file or assistance with your estate plan, please contact CunninghamLegal. Our Pasadena team can help you figure out where things stand and what needs to happen next.
Continuing Attorneys Helms & Myers’ Legacies
After a combined 114 years practicing law, Attorneys James R. Helms, Jr. and Sterling E. Myers retired and chose CunninghamLegal to continue serving the clients of Helms & Myers, Attorneys at Law. The two spent decades building their Arcadia practice and helping generations of local families with estate planning and other legal needs.
James and Sterling put considerable thought into who would take care of their clients after retirement. They ultimately selected CunninghamLegal because of our estate planning experience and shared commitment to taking care of clients for the long haul. We are honored to continue the work that Helms & Myers began.
If you were a client of Helms & Myers and need your file, want to review or update your estate plan, or need help administering a trust, please contact CunninghamLegal. Our nearby Pasadena team is here to help.
Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton Estate Planning Files
When Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton closed in 2013 in Oxnard, CunninghamLegal stepped in to preserve many of the firm’s estate planning files and provide former clients with a place to turn. If you were a client of Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton and need your file or help with your estate plan, please contact CunninghamLegal.
Estate Planning in Los Angeles County
Estate planning works differently depending on where you live in California, and Pasadena and Los Angeles County have their own realities.
Probate matters for Pasadena residents are handled through the Los Angeles County Superior Court. If a loved one passes away and assets are not properly held in a Living Trust or otherwise transferred outside probate, the family may need to go through the court process. Knowing how probate works locally matters, especially when you are already dealing with the loss of someone close to you.
Property is a big part of the estate planning conversation here. Many Pasadena families own homes that have appreciated significantly, including longtime family properties in areas such as San Rafael Hills, Linda Vista, and neighborhoods surrounding the Arroyo Seco. That can make Living Trusts, Proposition 19, property tax reassessment, and planning for how real estate passes to the next generation especially important.
We’re also familiar with the mix of clients in Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley: longtime homeowners, professionals and academics, families with significant real estate and investment assets, and business owners with more complex estates. Every family is different, and the details matter. The right estate plan should reflect the people, property, and circumstances it is actually meant to protect.
Why Choose CunninghamLegal for Estate Planning and Trust Administration in Pasadena?
Estate planning is not one-size-fits-all, and neither is Trust Administration. Every family is different. Every set of assets is different. And when someone passes away, every Trust seems to come with its own set of questions. That’s why experience matters.
We know California estate and trust law. Our Pasadena office is headed by Jim Cunningham, our founder and CEO. Jim is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and has practiced for more than 30 years.
We help you plan before there’s a problem. The best time to do estate planning is before you need it. We help you think through the “what ifs” now (what if you can’t make financial or health care decisions for yourself, what happens when you pass away, who steps in, and how your family will be protected). Then we make sure your Living Trust, Powers of Attorney, real estate, financial accounts, business interests, and beneficiary designations all work together.
We’re here when the plan has to work. Not every estate planning attorney handles Trust Administration after someone passes away, but we do. If a loved one has passed away and you are the Trustee, you may suddenly be responsible for assets, taxes, beneficiaries, and distributions—all while dealing with a loss. Our Trust Administration attorneys help you understand your responsibilities and guide you through the process from beginning to end.
We look at the whole picture. Estate Planning and Trust Administration can involve tax issues, real estate, businesses, Proposition 19, asset protection, and family dynamics. You want an attorney who can spot those issues and understand how the pieces fit together. An experienced attorney may see nuances that someone with less experience simply doesn’t see.
We have deep roots in Pasadena. Over the years, CunninghamLegal has been entrusted with the practices and clients of respected Pasadena attorneys, including Jan Copley, Stephen P. Bezaire, Helms & Myers, and Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton. We take that responsibility seriously.
If you need to create or update an estate plan (or you’re a Trustee wondering, “What do I do now?”) give us a call. We can meet with you at our office, by phone, or by Zoom. Call (626) 585-6970 or book an appointment online.
We look forward to working with you!
Estate planning is personal. And when you’re administering a trust after someone has passed away, it can be personal and difficult. These are important moments for a family, and we don’t take lightly the trust you place in us to help you through them.
It would be an honor to work with you and your family. Whether you’re planning ahead or you’re a Trustee trying to figure out what comes next, our job is to help you understand your options, pay attention to the details, and get the right plan in place—or the trust properly administered.
Make an appointment to meet with attorneys at CunninghamLegal for Estate Planning and Trust Administration and get a consultation to discuss your finances and estate. We offer in-person, phone, and Zoom appointments. Just call (626) 585-6970, or book an appointment online.
FAQ: Estate Planning in Pasadena
Anyone who wants to avoid probate, protect assets, or provide clear instructions for their family may benefit from a California Living Trust. It’s especially useful for Pasadena homeowners, business owners, and families with multiple properties. A longtime family home near the Arroyo Seco or in the San Rafael Hills, a San Gabriel Valley rental property, or a small apartment building can represent a significant part of a family’s wealth. A properly funded Living Trust can help keep those assets out of probate and make the eventual transfer to the next generation much easier.
A trustee manages the Trust after the grantor’s death or incapacity. Our team guides trustees in Pasadena through the legal responsibilities, paperwork, and decision-making to help protect both the trust and beneficiaries.
You should review your estate plan after major life events like marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or significant changes in assets, or at least every 3-5 years to stay aligned with current California laws. In Los Angeles County, rising property values are the trigger most often missed. CunninghamLegal can also assist with lodging a will at the appropriate courthouse after a death, including the Los Angeles County Superior Court Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
After the loss of a loved one, the family usually needs to either administer the Trust or open probate, depending on what the person left behind. Our Pasadena office guides families through trust administration, probate, dissolving a trust, and estate settlement, including probate filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, so your loved one’s wishes are carried out and your family can be protected.
Estate planning in Pasadena costs a fraction of what probate costs. Likewise, a plan built around a single Living Trust costs less than one involving a business, a blended family, or tax planning. Please contact us so we can learn more about the type of planning you are looking for.
California sets probate fees by statute, and the attorney and the executor each receive the same amount, so the estate pays it twice. The fee is calculated on the gross value of what you own rather than your equity, so a mortgage does not reduce it.
Los Angeles County sits in a very different spot than most of California. Since April 2025, a primary residence worth $750,000 or less can pass through a simplified court petition instead of full probate. With the median Los Angeles County home selling for approximately $888,120 to $922,000 (depending on the month), many Pasadena-area homes may already be above that threshold based on the residence alone.
Probate can get expensive quickly. On a $888,120 probate estate in 2026, California’s statutory fees for the attorney and executor can total approximately $41,524. And remember, the home may be only part of the picture. A rental property, second home, or other assets subject to probate can add to the value of the estate. A properly funded Living Trust can help keep those assets out of probate, regardless of the value of the home.
Bring an idea of what you own and who you want it to go to for your first meeting with an estate planning attorney. In practice that means property deeds, recent account statements, business documents, life insurance policies, and any will or trust you already have. Also come with names in mind for the people who would make medical and financial decisions for you, because that is the question most people have not thought about before the first meeting.
Yes, you can meet with a Pasadena estate planning attorney by phone or video. Our Pasadena office offers in-person, phone, and Zoom appointments. If getting to the office is difficult, or you would rather start with a conversation before committing to a visit, a remote appointment works the same way.
Request a Call with a Client Specialist
Our Client Specialists (non-attorney) are here to learn about your goals and schedule you with the appropriate CunninghamLegal attorney who can best serve your unique situation.
Ready to speak with someone now? Call our office: (866) 988-3956