Estate Planning Attorney
hace 3 días
Chico
Job Description Estate Planning Is a Social Justice Issue. We Take That Seriously. Most people think estate planning is for the wealthy. We know better. A family without a plan can lose everything. A parent without the right documents leaves their children exposed. A spouse without authority cannot make decisions in a crisis. A lifetime of work can vanish in probate court — not because the family didn't deserve better, but because no one gave them access to the tools that protect it. We firmly believe that estate planning is a social justice issue. A family that doesn't have much can lose everything without a personalized plan in place. Estate planning is about who you love, who you trust, and who is counting on you. Every person — regardless of wealth, immigration status, or background — deserves the right to give the people they love permission, authority, and clear instructions for how to care for them if they cannot care for themselves, and for their loved ones if they cannot be there to care for them. That is why this work matters. That is why we do it the way we do. At Legal Norcal P.C., we help preserve legacies. We make sure money, property, and everything a family has built stays where the person who built it intended. We serve high-net-worth clients, first-generation families, Spanish-speaking communities, and everyone in between — across Northern California and beyond. We empower people and their families to face the future with confidence, clarity, and a plan that actually reflects their values. We are growing intentionally. We are building something that lasts. And we are looking for an attorney who understands why that matters. Base salary starting at $120,000, commensurate with experience. Performance-based origination bonus available for matters you independently bring to the firm. This is a firm that rewards attorneys who build. Compensation: $120,000 yearly Responsibilities: You will begin in a back-office role focused on document review and drafting support — and you will do that work with the same care and precision we bring to every client we serve. But this role is built to grow. As you learn the firm, the clients, and the standards we hold ourselves to, you will step into the fuller picture: architect, reviewer, and quality standard for everything that leaves this firm. We are not asking you to start there. We are telling you that is where we are headed together. Our legal support team (paralegals and legal assistants) handles document production. Your job is to make sure everything they produce is excellent — legally sound, client-appropriate, and consistent with the design you set out. You will work closely with Daniel Rodriguez, the firm's owner and principal attorney, as the firm's first dedicated associate attorney hire. This role is foundational. How you perform it, and how you help us build it, will shape every attorney hire that follows. What You Will Actually Do Be the Blueprint • Lead estate planning design meetings., • Gather client information, identify the appropriate plan structure, and give the legal support team a clear, complete roadmap before a single document is drafted. If the plan design is wrong, the documents will be wrong. This starts with you. Be the Final Sanity Check • Review every completed draft before it reaches the client. Not just for typos — for legal accuracy, internal consistency, proper trustee and beneficiary designations, correct California-specific provisions, and alignment with what the client actually asked for. Your name is on this work. Own it. Be the Easy Button • When a file gets complicated — a blended family, an undocumented client, a Prop 19 issue, a potential special needs scenario — the legal support team comes to you. You are the resource that keeps us serving clients when cases get complex. You are not afraid of creating solutions. You do not let files sit. Be the Finish Line • When the firm requires an attorney's presence at signing meetings, you lead them. You explain the why behind the documents. You make clients feel confident about what they just signed. You turn a transaction into a relationship. Fix the Pipes • You are expected to identify workflow bottlenecks and bring solutions. If files are stacking up somewhere, you flag it and help fix it. If a template needs updating, you say so. If a process is breaking down, you are part of the solution, not a bystander. Watch the Scoreboard • Track your matters. Know where files stand. Understand the relationship between production, turnaround time, and firm profitability. Time tracking in MyCase is required for all matters — flat fee and hourly alike — because what gets measured gets managed. Practice Areas Estate Planning — Primary Focus • Revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directives, HIPAA authorizations, community property agreements, and ancillary documents. Complex matters, including blended family structures, special needs planning, immigration-adjacent planning (including detention and deportation scenarios), and California property tax planning under Proposition 19. Trust Administration — Secondary • Uncontested trust administration, including asset transfers, beneficiary communications, trustee guidance, and summary administration matters under the California Probate Code. Probate — Secondary • Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school., • An active California State Bar license in good standing is required., • Minimum 3 years of law firm experience in estate planning, trust administration, or probate, handling matters from inception to conclusion., • Working knowledge of California estate planning law, including the California Probate Code, Proposition 19, Medi-Cal recovery rules, and trust administration standards., • Demonstrated ability to review and quality-control estate planning documents for legal accuracy and completeness., • Strong written and verbal communication skills — you can explain a pour-over will to an 80-year-old and a QDOT to a CPA., • Comfortable with contemporaneous time tracking and flat-fee matter management., • Tech-proficient with experience in case management software, document drafting platforms, and remote collaboration tools., • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while remaining closely aligned with firm standards and supervising attorney direction. Strongly Preferred • Experience with the WealthCounsel document drafting platform., • Spanish language proficiency, spoken and written., • Working knowledge of finance, investments, and taxation as they intersect with estate planning., • Experience with immigration-adjacent estate planning, including planning for undocumented clients, DACA recipients, TPS holders, and LPRs., • Familiarity with MyCase, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Slack. A Significant Plus • Transferable book of business or established referral relationships., • Board certification or specialist certification in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California., • Experience in a practice committed to serving a substantial and diverse client base with the thoroughness and personal attention each family deserves.About Company Legal Norcal P.C. is a trusts, estates, and business law firm based in Chico, California. We have built a reputation for white-glove service, substantive legal work, and a genuine commitment to the communities we serve. We leverage technology to work smarter, not just harder. We measure what matters. And we invest in our team the way we invest in clients — with care, purpose, and high standards. Our practice spans estate planning, trust administration, probate, and business law, serving clients throughout Northern California and beyond. Benefits: Health insurance, Life insurance, CLE reimbursement, full access to CEB, LexisNexis, and WealthCounsel, and firm-provided technology.