CunninghamLegal
6200 Antioch St, Oakland, CA 94611, United States
CunninghamLegal is a Oakland, CA estate-planning firm with documented work in living trusts and will drafting.
Jurisdiction: CA
Jurisdiction: CA
Practice areas on file
Source · firm site & Google Maps
What this firm publicly addresses
Tab · 01
Living trust
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Tab · 02
Will drafting
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Tab · 03
Probate
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Tab · 04
Power of attorney
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Tab · 05
Elder law
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Tab · 06
Plan reviews
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Active tabs are practice areas the firm references on its own pages or carries on its Maps listing. Greyed tabs are areas to confirm by phone — silence in public sources is not a "no".
Where every detail on this page came from
Two sources only: the firm's own website and its Google Maps listing. No referral fees, no edits, no advertorial. If something looks wrong, tell us and we'll correct it.
| Item | Detail | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office address | 6200 Antioch St, Oakland, CA 94611, United States | Google Maps | HIGH |
| Phone | +1 510-339-0233 | Google Maps | HIGH |
| Website | cunninghamlegal.com/california-law-offices/contact/ | Google Maps | HIGH |
From the firm's office
What they say about their work
CunninghamLegal appears in Oakland, CA with material that helps distinguish it from a generic intake page. Pages on the firm's own website talk about living trusts, will drafting, estate-plan reviews, and probate administration. Before any engagement, ask the firm whether wills and trusts are bundled or invoiced separ…
From clients on the public record
What people who hired the firm said
No client snippets to quote yet — Google Maps reviews are the live source.
The four instruments most plans actually need
Plain-English summary of what each document does and why most plans include it. Not a substitute for counsel — but useful before the consultation.
Last will & testament
Names who inherits, who serves as executor, and who guards minor children. Goes through probate court even when uncontested — that filing window is what most planning aims to shorten.
Ask: flat fee or hourly drafting?Revocable living trust
Holds title to assets while you are alive and routes them to beneficiaries on death without probate. Funded only when accounts and deeds are actually retitled to the trust — which is the step most plans skip.
Ask: who handles the funding step?Durable power of attorney
Names someone to act on financial matters if you become incapacitated. Without one, family typically needs a court-appointed conservator — a slow and public process. State forms vary widely.
Ask: springing or immediate?Healthcare directive & proxy
Two pieces: a living will stating your end-of-life preferences and a healthcare proxy naming a decision-maker if you cannot speak for yourself. Hospital intake forms expect one.
Ask: HIPAA release included?Estate law in CA
Inheritance rules, elective shares, and state estate-tax thresholds vary widely. The bucket below is where CA sits — followed by the other regional groupings for comparison.
Where CA sits
Community-property states
Marriage divides assets at acquisition. Half of marital property typically belongs to each spouse from the moment it is earned, which changes how trusts and beneficiary designations are drafted, and how a surviving spouse takes title.
For comparison
Elective-share / common-law states
A surviving spouse can usually claim a one-third or one-half elective share even if the will excludes them. Estate plans here lean on trusts and beneficiary designations to manage that floor.
For comparison
States with their own estate or inheritance tax
Beyond the federal exemption, these states impose their own estate or inheritance tax, often at a much lower threshold (sometimes around $1–2M). Planning may need to address tax in two layers.
For comparison
Streamlined probate states
Some states offer summary or simplified probate for smaller estates, independent administration, or muniment-of-title routes. Whether a trust is worth it can hinge on which simplified path is available.
Which estate documents are safe to draft yourself
Not every document needs a $4,000 retainer, and not every document survives a state-bar template. The matrix below is a rough yardstick — not legal advice.
Simple last will, single beneficiary, no minor children
Many states accept witnessed wills drafted from a state-bar template — workable when the situation is straightforward.
DIY workable
Will with minor children or blended family
Guardian nomination, contingent trusts for minors, and blended-family carve-outs read poorly when self-drafted. Lawyer time pays for itself in litigation avoided.
Sometimes DIY
Revocable living trust + funding
The drafting is half the work; the funding (deed transfers, beneficiary updates, account retitling) is what most online plans skip. Get a firm that runs both.
Call a pro
Probate of a contested or out-of-state estate
Probate rules differ by county, deadlines are short, and several states require local counsel. This is not a DIY engagement.
Counsel only
Things people usually ask before the first call
Do I need both a will and a trust?
Often yes. A will names guardians, an executor, and a backup distribution plan; a trust holds funded assets and bypasses probate. Many estate plans use a "pour-over will" so anything outside the trust still gets routed in.
How much does estate planning typically cost?
A simple will package can run a few hundred to a few thousand dollars; full plans with funded trusts and tax planning routinely sit in the low five figures. Probate, billed separately, is usually a percentage of the estate or hourly. Always ask for the engagement letter in writing before any retainer.
What happens if I die without a will?
State intestacy law decides who inherits — typically a surviving spouse and children in fixed shares. The court appoints an administrator. Without a will there is also no nominated guardian for minor children, which can be the most consequential gap.
Are will and trust drafted as separate fees?
Most firms quote them as a single estate-plan package, not à la carte. Some include healthcare directives and POAs; others charge for those separately. Confirm before signing the engagement letter so you know what is in scope.
Does a power of attorney expire when I die?
Yes. POA authority ends at death — at that point the executor (under a will) or successor trustee (under a trust) takes over. POAs only operate while you are alive, typically only after incapacity is documented.
How often should an estate plan be reviewed?
A rough schedule is every three to five years, plus any time there is a major life event: marriage, divorce, birth or adoption, a move to a new state, or a significant change in assets. Tax-law changes can also trigger a review.
Also on file in CA
See the full list →
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