Living trusts, wills and business law for Westlake Village families and business owners, from a local attorney who has served the Conejo Valley since 1997. Protect what you have built.
Clear guidance without the jargon, so you always know where you stand.
Our office is in the heart of Westlake Village, and it has been the home of The Flaig Law Firm since 1997. We help neighbors here protect their families and the businesses they have built, from a first estate plan to the counsel a growing company relies on year after year.
Westlake Village straddles both Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which can complicate where and how an estate is administered. Local experience matters here: we structure trusts and business entities so your plan holds up cleanly no matter which county line your assets fall on.
Because we are right here, meeting in person is easy, and you always work directly with the attorney. Your first consultation is free and completely confidential.
Being local matters most when a question comes up midway through a plan. Our clients reach the attorney who drafted their documents, not a stranger at a call center, and can often meet in person the same week.
Many of our Westlake Village clients own a primary home here and a second property elsewhere, or a business with operations across county lines. We structure plans that hold together across all of it, so nothing falls through a gap between jurisdictions.
The City of Westlake Village is in Los Angeles County, while the neighborhoods north of the county line are in Thousand Oaks and Ventura County. Which court would hear the estate depends on where you live and what you own, which is one more reason to keep the estate out of court entirely.
Our office is at 5707 Corsa Avenue, just off Lindero Canyon Road. Westlake clients can sit down with the attorney who drafts their plan, sign in the same room, and come back when life changes.
Much of the value in a Westlake Village estate is the home itself. We confirm the deed is actually held by the trust, the step most often missed, so the plan works when your family needs it.
The Flaig Law Firm is at 5707 Corsa Avenue, Suite 104, in Westlake Village, California 91362, open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Donald W. Flaig has practiced estate planning, trust administration and business law here since 1997, and you work with him directly.
It depends on which side of the county line you live. The City of Westlake Village is in Los Angeles County, so an estate there that passes by will alone goes through Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Westlake neighborhoods of Thousand Oaks are in Ventura County and go through Ventura County Superior Court. Either way the court file is public and the process takes months. A properly funded living trust keeps the estate out of court entirely.
A complete plan, not a single document: the revocable living trust, a pour-over will that catches anything left outside it, durable powers of attorney for finances, and an advance health care directive. Then the step most plans skip: funding. The home is deeded into the trust and accounts are retitled or given beneficiary designations, because a trust that does not hold your assets does not work when your family needs it.
Secure the assets, gather the trust document and any amendments, and get date-of-death values for the home and accounts. California requires the trustee to send a formal notice to every beneficiary and heir within 60 days after the trust becomes irrevocable (Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.7). After that come the inventory, paying final bills and taxes, an accounting, and distribution. The Flaig Law Firm guides Westlake Village trustees through each step so nothing is missed.
If you have an existing living trust but have not had it reviewed over the past 5 years, now is a great time to get a new set of eyes on it. Laws on property tax, retirement accounts and trustee powers have all changed, and a trust that was never funded with the home and accounts it was meant to hold does not work when your family needs it. A review is quick.
The first consultation with The Flaig Law Firm is free and confidential. You speak directly with Donald W. Flaig, the attorney who will draft your plan, not with an intake assistant. Call (818) 338-7620 or book online.
“Donnie and his team are great. The office is wonderfully relaxing and the views out the window are stunning. On the business side, everything was organized and laid out clearly and thoroughly. I couldn’t ask for more.”
William R.Google review“I’ve been an attorney for 30+ years. Decided to retire and Donnie came highly recommended. This was a very difficult sale and I just sat back and Donnie took care of everything. It is hard letting another attorney deal with my legal issues, but, again Donnie is the best.”
Travis B.Google review“I would gladly recommend the Flaig Law Firm for setting up your estate planning and trust needs. They are so helpful and very efficient. Wonderful to deal with!”
Jaime C.Google reviewAlso serving nearby:
The three questions most families ask first. More in the Learning Center.
In California the choice usually comes down to one thing: keeping your family out of court.
Read →GuideA trust only controls what it owns. Here is how each kind of asset actually gets there, and the few that should stay out.
Read →GuideSince 2021, inheriting a parent's home in California can trigger a property-tax reassessment, unless the child moves in.
Read →It starts with one conversation, completely confidential, and you speak directly with the attorney.
Schedule a free consultation →Prefer to call? (818) 338-7620, Monday to Friday.
