Practice Areas

Gallagher, Bolander, Smedley, LLP is your reliable resource for all matters involving trusts, estates, and adoptions. With nearly 60 years of service to San Diego County residents, you can count on us to be your trusted partner when handling sensitive legal concerns.

Estate Planning

We recognize estate planning is a personal process, and the needs of each estate are as individual as each client. We will discuss your estate planning needs and goals, in order to create a custom plan, which may include drafting wills, trusts, or both to best accomplish your goals. Proper estate planning addresses both legal assets and health management issues during life as well as upon death. You will have peace of mind knowing you have addressed tax issues, minimized administration costs, and ensured your final wishes will be fulfilled. Estate planning packages include the drafting of living trusts, pour over wills, advanced health care directives, powers of attorney, and the transfer of real and personal properties into the trust.

Trust & Estate Administration

Losing a loved one or having to assume the position of Trustee, Executor or Attorney-In-Fact during a loved one’s incapacity is very difficult. Added to the emotional stress are a multitude of duties under the law and documents that must be drafted, executed and filed. Administering a Trust or a probate estate can be complex, especially when the court becomes involved, as is required in probate administrations. GBS has been assisting clients with trust and probate administrations for many years and the attorneys pride themselves on completing administration efficiently and with thoughtful consideration for the feelings that accompany these situations for their clients.

ADOPTIONS

GBS partner, Lori Bolander, practices in the area of adoption law. Whether you need assistance with an independent, stepparent or adult adoption, Lori can help you. If you have questions regarding whether you need a guardianship or an adoption, Lori is uniquely qualified to help you make that determination, since she handles both matters. Whether you are ready to file your adoption request or are struggling to determine which type of adoption is for you, Lori can guide you through the process.

“The original trust was produced by another estate planner. When we tried to update the trust the estate planner was much more interested in selling other investment products. We contacted Lori Bolander and she updated the trust with a high degree of professionalism. We highly recommend her service.”

Mary and Robert

“I would highly recommend Lori and her staff to anyone interested in Estate Planning. The entire team was a pleasure to work with! Lori took the time to inform me in detail about the entire process and answered all of my questions. I was completely satisfied and will not hesitate to recommend her to family and friends.”

A. Z.

“My previous estate planner did not live up to my expectations. Lori Bolander explained to us in detail, in clear language, about our legal needs and wishes.”

Victoria and Cresencio

“Good advice. Lori is patient and always keeping the clients’ interests and wishes as the top priority.”

Tracy and Brian

“Having a Trust done was something that had been on my list for years, and I just keep postponing it. A friend referred me to Lori Bolander and I had positive interactions with her team from the beginning. In my initial meeting with Lori I was immediately put at ease by her casual, yet professional style. I felt like I could confide in her without judgment, and her advice and counsel were extremely helpful. I am very happy with Lori’s services and I would feel confident in referring anyone to her.”

Kathryn

“When my husband and I had our first child, we immediately thought about our need to establish a Family Trust and we knew Lori would be the best attorney to help us. Not only have I come to know her as a professional, but I have come to know her as a person and her integrity as a lawyer and her courteous and friendly manner make her unique and special. I highly recommend Lori and will continue to seek her services in the future.”

Sasha and Prisciliana

“It’s great to know an attorney who can talk to clients in a comfortable way and yet convey a complete knowledge of important legal needs. Lori’s ability to converse early in the document preparation phase enables her to anticipate developments and focus on the final conclusion effectively. We are very pleased with our final documents.”

Dorothy and John

CONTACT US

At Gallagher, Bolander, Smedley, LLP, we are committed to serving our clients with compassion, integrity, and professionalism. We are here to help, so contact us today.