Collins & Associates is a Santa Barbara-based law firm specializing in estate planning, probate, trust administration, and nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations. The firm stands out for its highly customized approach, serving clients throughout California and beyond with a focus on personalized legal solutions in complex matters of wealth preservation and charitable entity formation.
The firm’s practice is built on attentive client collaboration, carefully listening to each client’s evolving goals, identifying available options, and guiding the decision-making process to achieve tailored outcomes. They specialize in assisting individuals, families, trustees, executors, and nonprofit organizations with comprehensive planning and compliance needs, emphasizing clarity, tax efficiency, and asset protection.
Services Offered
- Estate Planning
- Wills
- Trusts (including living trusts, dynasty GST trusts, insurance trusts, IRA trusts, charitable trusts)
- Estate, Gift, Generation-Skipping, and Property Tax Planning
- Asset Protection
- Business Succession Planning
- Retirement Asset Succession
- Probate and Trust Administration
- Estate Tax Returns (706s)
- Asset Allocation Planning
- Subtrust Funding
- Preserving Property Tax Base
- Summary Probate Procedures
- Guidance for Trustees and Executors
- Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations (corporations, trusts, LLCs, unincorporated associations)
- Formation and Operation of Public Charities, Private Foundations, Private Operating Foundations, and Supporting Organizations
- Governance Matters (drafting and reviewing policies including endowment agreements, gift acceptance policies, conflict of interest policies, compensation policies)
- Responding to Form 990 Governance Questions
- Unrelated Business Income guidance
- Compliance with IRS, FTB, California Attorney General’s Office Charitable Trusts Section, Board of Equalization, and County Assessor
- Outside General Counsel for day-to-day operations
- Tax Law
- Financial Consulting
The firm serves clients across California and other jurisdictions, providing dedicated support to individuals, families, business owners, and nonprofit organizations seeking sophisticated legal strategies for estate, trust, and tax-exempt matters.
