We’re Not Old Enough for That Yet. (Yes, You Are.)

Lauren and Matt live in Pacific Beach. They’ve got two little boys, a French bulldog named Waffles, and a Google calendar that looks like a game of Tetris. One Saturday morning, Matt was on a run when a distracted driver clipped him in a crosswalk. He survived, but barely.

During Matt’s recovery, Lauren realized they had no plan in place. No will. No trust. No guardianship instructions. If Matt had died, she wouldn’t have had immediate access to some of their joint accounts. Their boys could’ve ended up in family court limbo. The house title was still in his name only.

Lauren said it best: “We were building our life together, but legally, we were unprepared to protect it.”

They called a Pacific Beach estate planning attorney the next week.

If you and your partner were to die in an accident (worst-case scenario, but you know,  life), a California court would decide who raises your children. And that court doesn’t know your sister’s weird boyfriend, or that your mom hasn’t talked to you in five years.

A will allows you to name guardians for your kids. A living trust ensures your assets go to them smoothly, without court drama or months of frozen accounts. A healthcare directive and power of attorney let someone you trust make decisions if you're incapacitated.

This isn’t a luxury. It’s a responsibility.

Cool. All the more reason to protect what you do have.

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: if you die in California without a will or trust, your estate could be subject to probate…  a slow, public, and expensive court process. Even if your only asset is your house in La Mesa, your family might spend months in court (and thousands in fees) trying to get it.

A San Diego estate planning attorney can help you skip probate altogether by setting up a revocable trust. No drama. No courthouse. Just a smooth transfer to the people you love.

You're in the thick of building your life. That means:

• Your financial situation is changing fast.
• You might own a home, or plan to soon.
• You have (or want) kids and need to protect them.
• You may have student loans, 401(k)s, or life insurance.
• You want to protect your partner even if you're not married (hint: California law doesn’t treat live-in partners the same as spouses).
  

Estate planning for a young family isn't about massive wealth. It's about control. It’s about making sure your voice still matters, even when you’re not here to speak.

You don’t need to have everything figured out. A great San Diego trusts attorney will guide you through it. Most young families start with:

• A will that names guardians and outlines asset wishes.
• A trust to avoid probate and protect kids' inheritance.
• A power of attorney and healthcare directive.
• Beneficiary checks for life insurance and retirement accounts.

As your family grows, new house in Carlsbad, baby #3, maybe a boat in Mission Bay, your plan grows with you. That’s the beauty of working with an attorney who sees the big picture, not just a stack of documents.

At Peaceful Warrior Law, we know what it’s like to juggle a baby in one arm and your entire future in the other. We work with families across San Diego — from Ocean Beach to Point Loma — to make estate planning easy, thoughtful, and actually kind of empowering.

You don’t need to be rich. You just need to care about what happens to the people you love.

Let’s make a plan. Your future self (and your kids) will thank you.