10 Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Upland, CA

This guide compares the 10 Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Upland, California, and the surrounding San Bernardino County communities of Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Claremont, and Montclair. Eight of the firms have offices in Upland itself, while two are located in neighboring Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario. Firms were evaluated based on the depth of their estate planning practice, including living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and advance healthcare directives; related probate and trust administration experience; attorney credentials, such as State Bar admission, specialist certification, and peer ratings; and whether estate planning is a core focus or one practice area among many.

When comparing estate planning lawyers, three practical questions matter most. Does the attorney also handle probate and trust administration, so the person who drafts your plan understands how it will work after you are gone? Does the firm regularly appear in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles County courts, where Inland Empire trust and will disputes are filed? And does the practice cover the full document set, including a pour-over will, financial power of attorney, and healthcare directive, rather than a trust alone?

1. Gaudy Law, Inc.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jason Louis Gaudy, Founder
• Headquarters: 267 D St, Upland, CA 91786
• Phone: (909) 982-3199
• Website: gaudylaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate Planning (living trusts, wills, healthcare directives), Probate, Trust Administration, Conservatorship, Estate and Trust Litigation, Business and LLC Formation
• Firm Size: Boutique firm with more than 21 years of practice, according to the firm’s site
• Practice Area Page: Upland Estate Planning Lawyer

About The Firm: Gaudy Law is the Upland firm led by founder Jason Louis Gaudy, and it concentrates on estate planning, probate, trust administration, and conservatorship from its office on D Street. The firm’s estate planning work covers living trusts, wills, and healthcare directives, and its probate services are available throughout California. Its Yelp listing shows a 4.9 rating across 66 reviews.

What sets Gaudy Law apart is that it handles both sides of an estate: the planning done while a client is living and the disputes that can follow afterward. The firm’s estate and trust litigation work includes trust and will disputes, executor fiduciary misconduct, property disputes, and elder financial abuse, so a family that starts with a living trust can stay with one firm if a conservatorship or contested administration ever arises. Free consultations are offered, video conferencing is available, and the firm also forms corporations and LLCs for clients who want their business and personal plans coordinated.

2. Skvarna Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Victor P. Skvarna, Attorney and Counselor at Law
• Headquarters: 965 N. 2nd Avenue, Upland, CA 91786 (additional office: 158 N. Glendora Ave., Suite G, Glendora, CA 91741)
• Phone: (909) 608-7671
• Website: skvarnalaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Advanced Estate Planning, Elder Care Planning, Probate and Estate Administration, Elder Law
• Firm Size: Boutique firm with two offices

About The Firm: The Skvarna Law Firm is built around estate planning and its related disciplines. Victor Skvarna leads a practice that covers estate planning, advanced estate planning, elder care planning, and probate and estate administration for clients across San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. The firm names Upland, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, Montclair, and Chino among the cities it serves.

The distinguishing feature here is the focus on long-term care alongside traditional document drafting. The firm lists elder law and long-term care planning as a core service, which matters for families who want a trust and also a plan for how care will be funded later in life. The firm also teaches through client newsletters, a blog, and seminars, and its site displays WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel affiliations. A second office in Glendora gives clients on the Los Angeles County side a closer meeting location.

3. Law Office of Howard S. Borenstein

• Attorney/Key Figure: Howard S. Borenstein, Attorney
• Headquarters: 299 W Foothill Blvd #270, Upland, CA 91786
• Phone: (909) 984-6305
• Website: borensteinlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Tax Law, Probate and Trust Administration
• Firm Size: Attorney-led boutique with more than 25 years of experience

About The Firm: Howard Borenstein practices as a tax and estate attorney from Foothill Boulevard in Upland. His site reports more than 25 years of service, a Certified Specialist designation in Taxation Law, and an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, along with AICPA and CalCPA affiliations. Estate planning matters he handles include wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney for healthcare, financial powers of attorney, and business succession planning.

The pairing of tax credentials with estate planning is the differentiator. Clients whose plans involve business interests, larger estates, or tax-sensitive transfers get an attorney who works in tax law as a specialty rather than an afterthought. The firm serves Upland and communities across San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, offers free phone consultations, and amends existing plans as family circumstances change. Because the practice is led by one attorney with support staff, clients work directly with Borenstein but have a smaller bench than a multi-attorney firm provides.

4. Law Offices of Fernando J. Bernheim, APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Fernando J. Bernheim, Founding Attorney (with Christina Bernheim)
• Headquarters: 222 N. Mountain Avenue, Suite 108, Upland, CA 91786
• Phone: (909) 949-1960
• Website: bernheimlawyers.com
• Practice Areas: Wills and Trusts, Estate Planning, Probate, Probate and Will Disputes, Guardianship, Criminal Law, Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Family Law, Real Estate, Immigration
• Firm Size: Small firm with two attorneys listed

About The Firm: The Law Offices of Fernando J. Bernheim handles estate planning from a Mountain Avenue office in downtown Upland. Its wills and trusts practice covers estate planning, estate tax issues, executor duties, guardianship, living wills, living trusts, probate, probate and will disputes, and will drafting and execution. The firm describes its planning approach as looking at how to protect children, support loved ones, minimize taxes, care for pets, and fund charitable causes.

A practical strength is range: the same office can draft a plan, handle the probate afterward, and represent a client if a will is challenged in California probate court, and the firm also offers mediation of family disputes. Spanish-speaking clients are served directly (“Nosotros Hablamos Español”), and initial consultations are free. As a general practice, estate planning is one of seven areas on the firm’s site, with criminal defense and personal injury prominent, so clients seeking a firm that does only estate work may prefer a dedicated practice.

5. Law Office of Randal P. Hannah

• Attorney/Key Figure: Randal P. Hannah, Attorney at Law
• Headquarters: 489 N Central Ave, Upland, CA 91786
• Phone: (909) 608-1220
• Website: rphannahlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Power of Attorney, Probate, Contested Wills, Contested Trusts
• Firm Size: Attorney-led office

About The Firm: Randal Hannah’s Upland office on Central Avenue focuses on estate planning and the disputes and administration that surround it. The firm’s estate planning service covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and trust funding and beneficiary coordination, and it drafts revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, and special purpose trusts under California law.

The trust funding emphasis is worth noting, since an unfunded trust is one of the most common estate planning failures. By listing funding and beneficiary coordination as part of the engagement, the firm addresses the step that determines whether a trust actually avoids probate. It also handles contested wills and contested trusts, and it serves homeowners seeking to avoid probate, blended families, and retirees across Upland and the Inland Empire. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

6. Law Offices of Tanya L. Willis

• Attorney/Key Figure: Tanya L. Willis, Attorney (with associate Taylor D. Fennell)
• Headquarters: 545 N Mountain Ave, Suite 111, Upland, CA 91786
• Phone: (909) 982-5187
• Website: tanyawillislaw.com
• Practice Areas: Living Trusts, Durable Financial Power of Attorney, Estate Planning, Probate, Will Contests
• Firm Size: Small firm with an attorney and an associate

About The Firm: Tanya Willis has been admitted to the State Bar of California since 2007 and practices from North Mountain Avenue in Upland. She earned her law degree at the University of La Verne College of Law and worked as staff counsel for three insurance companies before moving into estate planning, where she helps families plan for asset management during incapacity and for transfers to loved ones at death.

Her litigation background gives the practice an edge in contested situations. Willis represents executors in probate court, including asset inventories, petition preparation and filing, transfers, and will contests, and her profile describes courtroom experience in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Associate Taylor Fennell adds capacity in probate and estate planning, so clients get both a planning attorney and a litigator under one roof.

7. Estelle & Kennedy, A Professional Law Corporation

• Attorney/Key Figure: Michael L. Kennedy, Managing Shareholder (with Brandy Estelle)
• Headquarters: 367 N. 2nd Avenue, Upland, CA 91786 (additional offices in Downtown Los Angeles and Mission Viejo)
• Phone: (909) 608-0466
• Website: estellekennedylaw.com
• Practice Areas: Wills, Trusts and Probate, Family Law, General Civil Litigation, Business Formation and Litigation, Labor and Employment
• Firm Size: Mid-size firm with three offices

About The Firm: Estelle & Kennedy is a professional law corporation with offices in Upland, Downtown Los Angeles, and Mission Viejo. Managing shareholder Michael Kennedy has been admitted to the California bar since 2010 and serves on the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service Board of Advisors and as general counsel to the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce. The firm’s practice areas include wills, trust and probate matters.

The firm’s strength is the combination of estate work with litigation capacity. Trust and estate planning sits alongside general civil litigation in state and federal court, business formation, and family law, which suits clients whose estates involve a business, a divorce history, or a family dispute that might reach a courtroom. The trade-off of that breadth is that estate planning is a secondary line next to the firm’s core family law and litigation work, so clients seeking a planning-only practice may find a narrower specialist.

8. Varner & Brandt LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Linda Jayne Gladson, Estate Planning Attorney (with Leslie E. Riley, Estate Planning and Business Attorney)
• Headquarters: 3237 E. Guasti Road, Suite 220, Ontario, CA 91761 (additional office: 3750 University Avenue, Sixth Floor, Riverside, CA 92501)
• Phone: (909) 931-0879
• Website: varnerbrandt.com
• Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Elder Law, Business Law
• Firm Size: Mid-size regional firm with legal roots in Southern California since 1873

About The Firm: Varner & Brandt operates an estate planning team out of its Ontario office, a short drive from Upland. Linda Gladson graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1984, holds the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, and carries an AV Preeminent peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Leslie Riley, a 2009 graduate of the University of La Verne College of Law, handles estate planning and business matters in the same office.

The firm’s depth is its main distinction. A team approach across estate planning, trust administration, probate, elder law, and business law means clients can address succession for a family business and a personal estate with one firm. As a larger regional firm with a Riverside office as well, clients may work with a team rather than a single attorney throughout the engagement.

9. Moga Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Scot Thomas Moga, Attorney at Law
• Headquarters: 1010 N Euclid Ave, Upland, CA 91786
• Phone: (909) 931-2444
• Website: inlandempireworkerscomplawyer.com
• Practice Areas: Living Trusts, Wills, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, Workers’ Compensation
• Firm Size: Attorney-led small firm with more than 25 years of experience

About The Firm: Scot Moga heads the Moga Law Firm on North Euclid Avenue in Upland and reports more than 25 years of experience preparing wills, living trusts, and related documents for clients across the Inland Empire. The firm drafts, modifies, and handles disputes over living trusts and wills, and it lists probate and trust administration as separate services.

Moga’s trust work includes both revocable trusts and pour-over trusts, and the firm’s explanatory material draws a clear line between a living will, which sets medical wishes, and a living trust, which governs asset transfer, a distinction that confuses many first-time clients. Spanish-speaking clients are accommodated (“Se habla español”) and the firm offers a no-obligation initial consultation. The site hosting this practice page is branded around workers’ compensation, which signals that estate planning is a secondary line of business.

10. Heather Lynn Law, APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Heather Lynn Virgen, Founder
• Headquarters: 8333 Foothill Blvd, PMB #414, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
• Website: heatherlynnlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills and Living Wills, Trust and Estate Administration, Asset Protection Planning, Special Needs Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Advance Healthcare Directives
• Firm Size: Attorney-led practice

About The Firm: Heather Lynn Law is an estate planning practice in Rancho Cucamonga, minutes from Upland, founded by attorney Heather Lynn Virgen, who previously practiced at Knight Employment Law before focusing on estate planning. Her Avvo profile shows a 5.0 rating, a free 30-minute first consultation, and licensure in both California and Arizona, and her Yelp listing shows a 4.9 rating across 113 reviews.

The practice stands out for a defined, plan-based approach. Its services span living trusts, pour-over wills, special needs trusts, certificates of trust, and deed preparation for funding a trust, and one directory lists estate plans starting at $2,600, which gives prospective clients a concrete price anchor. Clients work directly with the founder, which suits straightforward trust planning, though a matter that turns into extended probate litigation may call for a firm with more attorneys.

Upland, CA Estate Planning Resources

• San Bernardino County Superior Court: Provides information about probate cases, estate administration, court filings, and related legal procedures.
• California Courts Self-Help Guide: Offers guidance on wills, probate, conservatorships, and other estate-related legal matters.
• State Bar of California: Helps residents verify attorney licenses and find qualified estate planning lawyers.
• San Bernardino County Recorder-Clerk: Provides access to property records and recording services that may be relevant to estate and real estate planning.
• California Attorney General: Offers resources on consumer protection, charitable trusts, and related legal issues.
• Social Security Administration: Provides information about survivor benefits that families may need to consider when planning for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a will and a living trust in California?

A will takes effect only at death and generally must go through probate court, while a revocable living trust holds assets during your life and transfers them to beneficiaries without probate, as long as the trust has been funded. Most Inland Empire plans pair a trust with a pour-over will, which sweeps any forgotten assets into the trust, plus a financial power of attorney and an advance healthcare directive. Firms such as Moga Law Firm and Heather Lynn Law publish plain-language explanations of how these documents differ.

Why does funding a trust matter?

A trust only controls assets that have been titled in its name or that name it as beneficiary. A trust that is signed but never funded can leave a house or bank account subject to probate anyway, which defeats the purpose. Firms that include trust funding and beneficiary coordination in their engagement, such as the Law Office of Randal P. Hannah, address this step directly.

How much does probate cost in California?

California sets statutory fees for attorneys and personal representatives in formal probate based on a sliding percentage of the estate’s gross value, and those fees apply before court costs and other expenses. Because the fee is calculated on the gross value of the estate rather than the equity, a home with a large mortgage can still generate a substantial fee, which is a main reason Upland homeowners choose trusts. Firms like Skvarna Law Firm and Gaudy Law handle both planning and probate administration.

Do I need a different plan if I own a business or have a larger estate?

Business owners and larger estates often benefit from succession planning, entity coordination, and tax analysis in addition to a basic trust. Howard Borenstein’s tax law specialization and Varner & Brandt’s combined estate planning and business law team are examples of practices set up for that kind of work, while Gaudy Law also forms corporations and LLCs alongside its estate planning services.

What happens if a trust or will is challenged?

Disputes over a will or trust are filed in the superior court of the county where the estate is administered, and they can involve claims of undue influence, executor misconduct, or elder financial abuse. Choosing a planning attorney who also litigates helps: Tanya Willis represents executors in probate court across Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, Estelle & Kennedy combines trust and probate work with civil litigation, and Gaudy Law handles trust and will disputes and executor fiduciary misconduct cases.

How do I choose between a solo attorney, a boutique firm, and a larger firm?

Attorney-led practices such as Heather Lynn Law offer direct access to the attorney who drafts your plan, boutiques such as Bernheim and Skvarna add staff and a second attorney or office, and larger firms such as Varner & Brandt bring a team that spans estate planning, tax, and business law. Match the firm size to the complexity of your situation: a straightforward trust for a single family home usually fits a solo or boutique firm, while a multi-state estate or a family business may justify a larger team.

Final Thoughts on the Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Upland, CA

Choosing among the Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Upland, CA, depends on your assets, family needs, and long-term goals. Whether you need a living trust, a will, probate assistance, tax planning, or trust administration, compare each firm’s experience, services, and consultation options before making a decision. Best Lawyers List provides this guide to help readers compare local law firms and understand their estate planning services. Verify attorney credentials through the State Bar of California and ask about fees upfront. A well-prepared estate plan can help protect your assets, clarify your wishes, and simplify matters for your loved ones.

Disclaimer: The information provided in “10 Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Upland, CA” is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Rankings or inclusions on this list do not represent an official endorsement or guarantee of legal outcomes. Attorney qualifications, licenses, and standing with the California Bar can change; users should independently verify credentials and consult with a qualified attorney licensed in California before retaining legal counsel.