About the Office

"In estate planning and trust and estate administration, as in life, you can sometimes become disoriented and lose your sense of direction. A compass can tell you where you are headed. However, there are times when the needle points to magnetic north rather than true north. I keep you focused on your true north."

Thomas Michael Lee, Principal Attorney, The Law Office of Thomas Michael Lee


A COMPASS TO PLAN, PROTECT, & PERSEVERE.

PLAN to avoid unnecessary and substantial reduction of your estate from probate and taxes and litigation as well to determine in advance who will take care of your matters when you cannot.

PROTECT your estate, your loved ones, and yourself well as a result.

PERSEVERE by designating and empowering people you trust to carry out your wishes when needed so that you may live and die with dignity.


At The Law Office of Thomas Michael Lee, Thomas acts as your "compass," or legal counsel to guide you in a direction to plan, protect, and persevere through life’s ups-and-downs as you see fit in your estate plan and trust and estate administration. You are the captain of the ship. Thomas listens to your story, lays out a map of what needs to be done to realize your vision, presents the choices you must make and confirms your understanding of the consequences of these choices on you and your loved ones, and manages the execution and formalization of your plan. He offers reasonable fixed fee bundled services to fit the needs of most people in estate planning and hourly rates for administration. Thomas knows estate plans and administration are just as necessary and helpful for everyday people as they are for wealthy ones.

Thomas cares about helping you feel comfortable in expressing your wishes, especially when it comes to what must be done in life’s most difficult times like incapacity or death. He brings valuable experience in relating to people from all walks of life while working in a wide range of legal environments serving a very diverse set of clients (corporate, class action, non-profit policy, and volunteer). Thomas also utilizes his previous training in teaching university students to help make difficult concepts easy to understand in developing an estate plan. He takes the time to listen to the circumstances of your life and the goals you have set, but works in an effective and efficient manner to get your estate plan or administration done with confidence and in a timely manner.

Finding a good lawyer that meets your needs is tough. Thomas provides a free and confidential initial consultation so that both you and he can comfortably assess whether there is a good fit.

 

Thomas would be honored to serve as your estate planning or trust and estate administration lawyer.


Thomas Michael Lee, Principal Attorney

 

Education

University of Pennsylvania, M.A. 1999

Florida State University College of Law,
J.D. 1993

University of Florida, B.S.B.A. 1990

Bar Admissions

California

District of Columbia (Retired)

Florida

Associations

EBTEL (East Bay Trusts & Estates Lawyers)

California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Section

Publications

Update Author, Drafting California Irrevocable Trusts, Chapter 7: Structuring the Trust Instrument, (CEB 2021, 2022, 2023)

Update Author, California Will Drafting, Chapter 7: Overview of Testamentary Trusts, (CEB 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and Chapter 8: Pourover Wills (CEB 2023)


You can contact Thomas to set up a free and confidential, initial consultation by clicking here.