Burger & Pierce LLP is comprised of attorneys Richard Burger and Jeffrey Pierce, together with the staff who make their work possible. Their office is located in the Foundry Wharf beside the Petaluma River, on the south side of downtown Petaluma.

“Estate planning” refers to the process of preparing for the event of death or incapacity. That process often raises issues related to how one conceives of their legacy and how one’s family dynamics impact their planning. Many clients feel relieved when they finally address the planning issues they have intended to take care of for many years. Richard and Jeff listen closely to their clients, and communicate patiently with them so that they can understand all of their options. They help their clients prepare a plan that meets the clients’ individual needs, while also seeking to reduce taxes, family conflicts, and administrative burdens as much as possible.

Richard and Jeff prepare estate plans – from simple and straightforward to complex and sophisticated – for individuals and for couples, based upon individual situations and needs. A straightforward but important estate plan might include a will and a revocable (“living”) trust, as well as a durable power of attorney for financial matters and an advance health care directive for medical and end-of-life care. A more involved estate plan might include revocable trusts that incorporate lifetime or generation-skipping trusts, lifetime gifting to individuals or charities, and various irrevocable trusts (such as charitable trusts, generation-skipping trusts, life insurance trusts, grantor trusts, and qualified personal residence trusts).

Richard and Jeff’s practice also encompasses trust and estate administration. This includes assisting those who serve as trustees after the death or incapacity of the original trustee, and advising executors and other fiduciaries through court-supervised matters like probate, guardianships, and conservatorships.