Burt + Clerc

Burt + Clerc is a California boutique law firm focused primarily on estate planning, probate, trust administration, and related matters. The firm assists clients with wills, revocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directives, general assignments of assets to trusts, and pet trusts. Its attorneys work closely with individuals and families to understand personal goals, organize assets, plan for incapacity, and create estate plans designed to guide future decision-making and property distribution under California law and family circumstances.

Burt + Clerc represents clients in probate and trust administration after a death, helping fiduciaries carry out legal responsibilities and manage estate or trust assets. The firm advises trustees concerning duties under the California Probate Code, including gathering property, managing assets, making distributions, and addressing required tax filings. Its probate work includes estates governed by wills or intestacy rules, while its trust administration services support trustees handling complex provisions, substantial assets, and obligations owed to beneficiaries through each administrative stage.

Burt + Clerc also handles trust and probate litigation when disagreements arise among beneficiaries, heirs, trustees, executors, or other interested parties. Matters can involve will contests, questions about testamentary capacity, allegations of undue influence, disputed transfers, trustee accountings, misappropriated assets, or efforts to remove a fiduciary. The firm additionally assists with conservatorships and guardianships, providing guidance in proceedings involving adults who cannot manage their affairs or minors who require court-supervised care and decision-making with careful attention to available evidence.

Burt + Clerc was established in 2005 and serves clients throughout the Coachella Valley and surrounding Southern California counties from its Palm Desert office. The firm emphasizes personal attention, accuracy, careful planning, and legal solutions tailored to each client’s circumstances and long-term objectives. Several attorneys are certified specialists in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law in California, reinforcing the firm’s concentrated focus on this field. Its services combine planning, fiduciary guidance, estate administration, and courtroom representation when disputes require litigation.