Purposeful, measured estate planning and asset defense.

From a basic revocable living trust to avoid California probate to advanced irrevocable, charitable, tax, and business planning, the Ventura County trusts and estates Law Office of Ryan J. Casson can help you understand how to protect and defend the wealth you’ve created. Don’t let the State or the IRS make or take your legacy: take control of your wealth.
“Thank you for working for us to protect our assets. You have been a delight to work with.”
— Frank & Jan
“[A] trustworthy and experienced trust attorney, look no further . . .”
— Gary

Practice Areas

  • From a basic Last Will & Testament and Durable Power of Attorney to revocable and irrevocable trusts, gifting, and other planning to minimize federal income/estate tax. Asset protection concerns and objectives can be addressed as well.

  • From statutory exemption planning and straightforward discretionary spendthrift trusts to irrevocable trusts, LLCs and partnerships, and California Private Retirement Plans.

  • Planning for what happens to your California business if you become incapacitated and upon your death. Formation. Maintenance. Succession. Sales/Transfers.

  • Using various assets (cash, retirement funds, life insurance, etc.) and, in many instances, trusts, to achieve charitable goals, which can create favorable tax outcomes.

  • Calculated use of Chapter 7, 11, or 13 of the Bankruptcy Code and the bankruptcy process to give you or your business a new chance at financial freedom. The Law Office of Ryan J. Casson can also handle adversary proceedings and represents business (non consumer) creditors. Where bankruptcy law, trust and estate law, and tax law intersect is where the Law Office of Ryan J. Casson thrives.

  • Ryan’s law office can assist in litigating almost any claim or dispute relating to trusts and estates: will contests; petitions to remove a trustee; financial elder abuse; civil asset forfeiture and recovery; contract and tort claims involving art; enforcement of judgments against trusts and entities. And more.

  • IRS audits of individuals and business entities (including trusts and estates), IRS estate and gift tax audits, and the various, potential tools to resolve these issues, and appeals to the U.S. Tax Court. Audits by California’s Employment Development Department and Franchise Tax Board are also handled. Litigating IRS Liens, Levies, and Seizures is handled, too. California tax attorney Ryan J. Casson can also assist in analyzing and advising on how to handle various IRA and other retirement account messes.

  • In California, there are a few different types of probate, and there is work to be done in administering a deceased individual’s trust. Ryan can help you figure it all out.

Estate planning is offensive and defensive.

Thinking about the unthinkable isn’t easy. We like to think we can control our lives. We enjoy flexibility, too. But incapacity and death is thinkable; incapacity is possible and death is certain. From deciding who will manage your health care and finances after your incapacity and eventual death to passing on business interests and other interests that are important to you, you do not want to leave these choices to chance, creditors, or the IRS. Planning ahead can minimize family disharmony, tax consequences, and legal complexities, ease family burdens, and maximize the chances that the legacy you desire to leave behind will be accomplished. If along life's journeys you encounter tax, business, bankruptcy, or other hiccups and bumps, and need a fresh chapter in life, Ryan’s Camarillo, California trusts and estates law firm, the Law Office of Ryan J. Casson, is here to help you stay the course.

Philosophy and Process

Process is discovery.

Your Time is King and Queen.

2. Balance the potential risks and benefits.

You’ve heard that adage “Cash is king.” There might be a lot of truth to that. But there’s another truism: “Time is money.” You know how important your time is. Family. Your business or professional goals. Educational and recreational pursuits. Whatever it is that is important to you requires time. So does your estate plan.

In partnering with you to counsel and assist you in building and protecting what you value most, California estate planning attorney Ryan J. Casson provides measured, meaningful counsel.  A lot of the estate planning process involves weighing control and flexibility, and many other choices, each carrying their own potential risks and benefits.  Sometimes flexibility comes at the expense of control, and vice versa. And the thought processes can be challenging and complex.  Striking an intentional balance is key.

Spending the time to build, implement, and maintain your estate plan will maximize your time and peace of mind in the long run.

Execute. Execute. Execute.

What is “True North” for you?

1. Acquire insightful knowledge.

Whether your goal is to create an initial, basic estate plan, update a current plan, engage in advanced planning to attempt to mitigate tax complexities, protect assets, or resolve a litigious matter in court, Ryan will encourage you to maintain a “Meet It! (Head On)” philosophy. To Ryan, “Process” means “Proactive,” and, as he works with you to discover your objectives and develop a legacy roadmap, you will find him to be very proactive and careful, too.

Solutions require persistence, patience, and commitment.

From the initial phone call or meeting, to one (or more) Strategic Design meetings, we’ll work to discover what “True North” is for you.

Strategic design.

Stay the course.

3. Refine and execute.

Strategic design begins at our very first introductory phone call or meeting and continues until your plan is implemented. Whether your particular objectives require one design meeting or more, Ryan will communicate with you and your team of financial professionals (CPA, financial advisor, etc.) to review and analyze key documents and information and work to understand and refine your estate plan.

Ventura County trusts and estates attorney Ryan J. Casson will break things down for you and help you understand when, where, and how to build and/or reorganize your estate and business plan.  Trust is important and, once you meet Ryan, he believes that he will earn yours. For life, and all the hiccups and bumps along the way.

Navigate life’s waves.

Strategy is a marathon.

4. Maintain and redirect.

Significant life events like marriage, divorce, birth, death, or changes in your financial picture can impact your estate plan. So too can changes in tax law or other law, creditor issues, bankruptcy, audits, or lawsuits. Revisiting and reassessing over time your estate plan can help ensure your plan aligns with your current goals. Like a good navigator or aviator, you will want to adjust to account for these or other potential changes. 

Camarillo and Ventura estate, tax, and business planning attorney Ryan J. Casson can counsel you on maintaining your adaptive, intentional estate plan. If you already have an estate plan, the Law Office of Ryan J. Casson can help you recalibrate. As he employs a “team approach” to the estate planning process, Ryan enjoys consulting with your CPA, financial advisor, or other professional. 

Speak with Ryan today and learn that creating and protecting your legacy does not have to be the puzzle many make it out to be!

Potential estate planning objectives that can help you build and protect your estate

Secure tomorrow, today.

  • Transfer Assets to Heirs

    Choose who inherits your assets, and when. So that no one else does.

  • Plan for Retirement

    Decide how and which assets you will use to fund your retirement, and how to pass on ownership/control of business interests.

  • Protect Your Wealth

    Use trusts, certain retirement plans, and other tools to minimize exposure to creditors, Medicaid, lawsuits, etc.

  • Minimize Estate & Gift Tax

    Employ trust, gifting, and other techniques to minimize transfer taxes and maximize the wealth passing to your heirs.

  • Make a Lasting Charitable Legacy

    Philanthropy feels good and, through charitable trusts, donor advised funds, and foundations, it can accomplish favorable tax benefits.

Unsure of what to expect at your initial meeting? Whether your unique goals involve a basic estate plan, advanced tax or business planning, bankruptcy, IRS tax issues, trust and estate disputes, creditor disputes, Medicaid eligibility, or probate, take a look at the Info page to help you prepare for and make the most of our time together. Call Camarillo and Ventura estate planning attorney Ryan J. Casson or fill out the contact form below and Ryan will contact you ASAP.

  • 1. INITIAL MEETING

    Live, Zoom, or telephone consultation to review “Intake Questionnaire” that will be provided to you beforehand.

    Initial roadmap for your project is outlined.

  • 2. STRATEGIC DESIGN

    Second meeting (live, Zoom, or telephone), geared toward estate planning clients: your estate planning needs and objectives are clarified.

    For all other clients (i.e., advanced planning, probate, litigation, etc.), additional, periodic meetings can occur as appropriate (often via Zoom or telephone).

  • 3. SIGNING

    Meet at the office to review and execute documents in accordance with California law, and discuss any ancillary matters. Discuss “funding” of your estate plan and remind you of your “homework.”

Trust & Estate Litigation & Appeals Areas

  • California Will Contests, Petitions to Remove or Appoint Trustees, Accountings, Financial Elder Abuse, and more.

  • Buy/Sell Disputes, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Operating Agreement and Partnership Agreement Disputes, Petitions to Dissolve Entities, California Private Retirement Plans (attacking/defending), and like matters involving California partnerships or LLCs (i.e., veil piercing and alter ego claims).

  • Enforcement of Judgments, Recording/Amending Judgments, Representing Business Creditors in Enforcing Judgments Against a Beneficiary’s Trust Share, California Charging Orders, etc.

  • Working to protect, or pierce, trusts designed to “protect” California assets from judgment creditors. This area of practice may involve business creditors’ claims (enforcing a judgment against a trust), amending judgments, alter ego, business disputes, California’s Uniform Voidable Transactions Act, and/or a dispute in bankruptcy.

  • Adversary Proceedings and other proceedings ancillary to bankruptcy cases (i.e., dischargeability, fraudulent/voidable transfers, trust and tax issues, etc.).

  • Various legal claims involving the transfer of, ownership of, or recovery of art and collectibles; copyright claims involving estates and trusts; wrongful use of name or likeness and other California privacy “torts” involving trusts and estates and businesses; and more.