I founded Martz Law on the conviction that the families who need estate planning most are precisely the ones whose plans are most likely to be challenged — by a creditor, a disappointed heir or a divorcing spouse.
The answer is not a thicker binder. It is litigation-grade procedural rigor applied at the drafting stage — before there is a dispute to litigate. I call the result a Family Fortress: a coordinated structure of trusts, powers, and directives that answers hard questions before anyone has to ask them.
Aggressive Civility in Litigation & Legacy.
Request a ConsultationThe cornerstone of a California estate plan. Avoids probate, controls distribution, preserves Prop 13 and Prop 19 property tax exclusions when structured correctly.
Coordinated instruments: healthcare directive, durable power of attorney, POLST, and a pour-over will that closes the gap when trust funding is incomplete.
SLATs, ILITs, charitable trusts, and Medi-Cal planning vehicles — deployed when the estate tax exposure, creditor risk, or family dynamics warrant the additional layer.
Buy-sell agreements, entity restructuring, and owner succession plans built to coordinate with the family trust — so the business transition does not unravel the estate plan.
Guiding successor trustees through the mandatory notice, creditor claim, and distribution process — with the procedural exactness that protects the trustee from personal liability.
When a plan fails or is challenged, litigation-trained counsel already familiar with how these documents are supposed to work — and where they break down.
Martz Law can help across California, and New York. The practice maintains dedicated web presences for the communities we are able to serve locally.
Initial consultations are complimentary. I will tell you directly whether a formal estate plan is the right next step — and if it is, what a complete engagement looks like, in writing, before you commit.