About The Firm
THE DIMEFF LAW OFFICE, LLP The Rancho Santa Fe, California based law office is a boutique firm limiting its practice to trust and estate planning, fiduciary and post mortem representation, and when necessary, trust & estate litigation. In addition, the firm is active in issues involving financial elder abuse. Today’s prevalence of blended families, inherited assets, and marriages where both parties bring significant separate property assets to the union require skill and expertise in the planning process and issues likely to arise with surviving children. The Dimeff Law Office celebrates its twentieth year of practice in this field. There are three lawyers in the firm. Carl L. Dimeff is the senior partner in the firm and is a nationally recognized speaker on Estate Planning, Tax Planning and Asset Protection. He has been quoted in, and interviewed by, the Wall Street Journal on numeropus ocassions. He is a member of the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section of the State Bar of California, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Financial and Estate Planning, and gives continuing education to lawyers, CPAs and real estate professionals. He has served as an expert witness in matters including professional estate planning malpractice.
This Web Site, however, is currently designed for individuals and couples who have questions and/or needs for basic estate planning services such as the drafting of wills and/or living trusts. If you have questions and/or a need for more advanced estate planning please feel free to call us at (858) 759-2077, or contact us through one of the other methods described in this Web-site.
Suzanne Cowan Dimeff: is a recipient of the coveted trial lawyer of the year award from TLPJ (Trial Lawyers for Public Justice). She received the national award for her participation on the Trial Team representing commerical fishermen whose lives were devestated by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. She now heads the litigation department of the firm, and while litigating a matter is a final resort, if the time comes when you can't resolve your issues to your satisfaction you will need representation with the skill, expertice and experience to see your case to a fair and just resolution.
Sandra Van Guilder: has been with the firm since 1997 and brought with her a unique insight into estate planning. With a background in family law, she looks at estate planning as "family wealth and asset planning". Her goal is to get as much as can be legally transferred from one generation to the next, with as little as legally possible going to the state and federal governments.
AFFILIATIONS
Mr. Dimeff is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), which is a group of approximately 8000 attorneys from around the country whose practices are almost exclusively focused on the issues of elder Americans. NAELA is located at 1604 North Country Club Rd., Tucson, AZ., 85716; (520) 881-4005; fax (520) 325-7925.
He is also a member of the Estate Planning Trust and Probate Law section of the State Bar of California . Membership records: (213) 765-1000; (415) 561-8877. His Bar number is 147358.
He is also a member of the American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Law section of the ABA.
