Law Office of James Burns

09/02/2026

Serious wealth planning deserves more than a basic living trust.

At the Law Office of James Burns in Aliso Viejo (6B Liberty Plaza, Suite 130), we help Orange County families and business owners build plans that actually hold up when it matters. If you’re in Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, or Mission Viejo and want real control, this is where advanced planning starts.

We combine Advanced Estate Planning with practical Asset Protection Strategies and clear Estate Tax Planning Services. For qualified families, we also advise on Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) as part of a compliant long-term structure, and we act as an Attorney for PPLI when the case fits. ⚖️📄

✔ Coordinate trusts, LLCs, and real estate
✔ Plan for privacy and lawsuit risk
✔ Build a legacy plan that works across generations

Schedule a confidential consultation and let’s map out your next steps.

09/02/2026

"AB 2658: Let One Spouse Trust Their Half , Without Losing the Community Double Step-Up"
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Legislative status: AMBER , AB 2658 is pending legislation. It is not enacted, not chaptered, and not available for reliance today. The bill was last amended April 9, 2026, and re-referred April 13, 2026, to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care.....

09/02/2026

Serious wealth planning needs more than a basic trust. ⚖️

At the Law Office of James Burns, we help Orange County families and business owners build advanced estate planning that matches real-world risk, tax exposure, and how assets are actually held. If you’re in Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Newport Beach, or nearby coastal communities, you may benefit from coordinated estate tax planning services and asset protection strategies that go beyond standard documents.

For families with $20M+ in assets, private placement life insurance (PPLI) is not a sales gimmick. It’s written directly into the Internal Revenue Code (§7702) as a lawful strategy for tax-free compounding, asset protection, and generational wealth transfer. Unlike retail policies, PPLI can give qualified investors access to private equity, hedge funds, LLCs, and other advanced investments, under the protective umbrella of life insurance.

✔ Work with an experienced trust attorney and estate planning attorney who understands attorney for PPLI structuring and compliance 📚

The real question isn’t “What is PPLI?” It’s “Why don’t you already have one?” Schedule a confidential planning call to see if it fits your plan.

09/01/2026

"The House on the Line: What Really Happens to a California Home When One Owner Needs Memory Care"
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California families facing memory care must evaluate the home’s title, community-property character, Orange County 2026 care costs, Medi-Cal asset rules, 30-month transfer look-back, CSRA, MMMNA, estate recovery under WIC § 14009.5, unpaid care arrears exposure, probate, Prop 19, tax basis, and w...

08/30/2026

"Why 90% of Family Fortunes Are Gone by the Third Generation"
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California families rarely lose significant wealth because of one bad investment alone. More often, fortunes erode when EstatePlanning, AssetProtection, ProbateAvoidance, business succession, tax coordination, and successor preparation are handled as separate tasks instead of one integrated control....

08/30/2026

When your wealth is spread across businesses, real estate, and investments, a basic plan can leave gaps.

At the Law Office of James Burns in Aliso Viejo at 6B Liberty Plaza, Suite 130, we help families and business owners in Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, and Mission Viejo build plans that are designed for real life, not just paperwork. Work with an estate planning attorney who understands advanced estate planning and how to align trusts, entities, and long-term goals.

🧾 Planning options we often review:
• Asset protection strategies for high-liability careers and investors
• Estate tax planning services for larger estates and family legacy goals
• Private placement life insurance (PPLI) when it fits qualified investors, including guidance as an attorney for PPLI

If you want an experienced trust attorney to pressure-test your current plan and tighten the weak points, schedule a consultation.

08/29/2026

Sunset. Counsel. Confidence.

A private planning conversation on the water says a lot about how we serve our clients.

At the Law Office of James Burns, we believe estate planning should feel calm, discreet, and exceptionally well coordinated. That is control architecture in action. 🔒

If you are protecting a family enterprise, real estate portfolio, or multi-generational legacy, the right plan should do more than exist on paper. It should be stress-tested, implemented, and built to hold when life changes.

Reach out if you want clarity, not complexity.

08/29/2026

"Protecting the Family Home from Medi-Cal: The MAPT House Play (and the Property-Tax Catch That Can Undo It)"
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California families considering a Medi-Cal Asset Protection Trust must analyze more than estate recovery. A MAPT may keep the family home outside the probate estate, but an irrevocable transfer can trigger California property-tax reassessment under RTC §§ 62(d), 62(e), and 18 CCR § 462.160. Retai...

08/28/2026

Three questions before the next market move. 🔒

In Newport Coast, Irvine, and Laguna, the families who preserve wealth ask the right questions early. If your plan has not been stress-tested, your assets may be more exposed than you think.

Ask this first.

Do you know what happens if you are disabled tomorrow.
Are your trusts, entities, and liquidity aligned.
Will your family have clarity, not conflict, when it matters most.

We map exposure. We build control architecture. We execute implementation, not theory.

If you want a private review, contact the Law Office of James Burns today.