Law Office of Colette T. Davis

5.0 1 review

“Honest, thorough, dependable, affordable and friendly.”

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Bergman APC

4.0 4 reviews

“They went above and beyond to make sure that all of my questions and needs were met throughout the time I used their services.”

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The Law Office of Barbara Bergstein

5.0 20 reviews

“Barbara has years of experience doing this and she is only doing estate planning, there are firms who do this as another service but we need an attorney who is only focused on estate planning.”

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Law Office of Jerome B. Smith

5.0 6 reviews

“Jerry knows his topics and gave guidence and referrals to resouces that will benefit our situation.”

FAQs

How is a corporation formed?

A corporation is formed by filing articles of incorporation with the California Secretary of State. A corporation must also have bylaws (its operating rules) and minutes of the organizational meeting of the corporation in which the principal place of business is set, the directors are elected, the officers are appointed, and various other matters are handled. A corporation must also issue shares of stock to its shareholders in return for appropriate consideration. This consideration forms the capitalization of the corporation. Although there is no set dollar amount, this capitalization must be sufficient to fund the initial operations of the corporation. If a corporation is undercapitalized, this is one of the elements that a creditor can look to, to "pierce the corporate veil" and impose corporate liability upon the shareholders. Therefore, it is very important that a corporation be adequately capitalized. Corporation formation also entails filing notices with the California Department of Corporations, obtaining a Federal Tax I.D. number from the Internal Revenue Service, and a variety of other forms and documentation.

What happens after I've formed my corporation?

After it is properly formed and capitalized, the shareholders need to hold a meeting once a year to review the corporate financial statement and the actions of the directors during the previous year. The shareholders must also elect directors to serve for the upcoming year. This can be done by a formal meeting or by a unanimous written consent of all of the shareholders without a meeting. The directors must also have a meeting (or sign a unanimous written consent in lieu thereof) once a year. At this meeting, the directors elect the officers of the corporation, ratify the financial statement and any other major corporate activities (such as leases, capital acquisitions, 401K contributions et cetera) that occurred during the previous calendar or fiscal year.

What is a limited liability company (LLC)?

A limited liability company is similar to a corporation, although for taxation purposes, it is taxed as a partnership, and not as a separate legal entity. An LLC has members instead of shareholders, and it has a manager (or managers) instead of directors. An LLC may have officers, but it is not required to do so.

What happens after an LLC is formed?

As a general rule, once an LLC is formed, you do not need to have minutes or unanimous written consents on an annual basis. It generally operates without the formalities of a corporation. An LLC needs to be adequately capitalized in the same fashion as a corporation, and the members and managers must keep the LLC finances separate and apart from their individual finances.

What are the tax liabilities for an LLC?

An LLC is taxed as a partnership. However, in California, an LLC also must pay a gross receipts tax. This is a graduated tax (and is in addition to any taxes that are due to the Franchise Tax Board) that has a cap of $11,790. Because many of our clients would prefer to avoid this gross receipts tax, they find a corporation more advantageous than an LLC. However, Jerry is able to form both entities and are comfortable discussing your options with you. Contact Us

We do have more answers on the FAQ page on our website.

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Willow

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Agape Esquire Law

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The 15 firms listed for Culver City, CA write wills, trusts and powers of attorney for clients. What each says about its planning packages and meeting options comes from its own website; ratings and quotes come from public reviews.

Area overview: Culver City, CA

7 of the 15 firms we list are based in Culver City; the other 8 serve Culver City from towns including Studio City (10 mi), Santa Monica (5 mi) and El Segundo (6 mi). 10 of the firms on this page have a rating, from 4.0 to 5.0 across 387 reviews; 3 have 50 or more reviews and 8 are rated 4.5 or higher. When clients rate these firms on specific qualities, they most often praise responsiveness (95%), professionalism (91%) and quality (55%). The topics that come up most in reviews of the firms on this page are "trust", "knowledge" and "price". 2 are open around the clock and 2 are open on weekends. The practice areas the firms on this page list most often on their websites are probate (4), estate planning (3), conservatorships (2), inheritance disputes (2) and trust administration (2). 2 have a BBB rating of A or A+. 9 have ten or more years of experience, the longest 44 years. 2 offer urgent consultations; 3 offer a free initial consultation; 1 is family- or locally-owned and 1 lists coupons or special offers. We count these figures across the firms on this page; distances are straight-line, and hours and prices change, so confirm the details with the firm before you book a consultation.

Do any estate planning firms listed for Culver City offer free consultations?

3 of the 15 firms on this page state that a first consultation is free. Free usually means a short meeting to scope the work and quote it, not drafting advice. Ask what the meeting covers when you book it.

Van Duzer Law

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Snyder Law Group

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Ramer Law Firm

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Joann Deutch, Attorney

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MVP Law Group

4.8 37 reviews

“Very professional, very nice, and made me feel very comfortable.”

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RMO Lawyers

4.7 48 reviews

“Scott Rahn quickly helped us with excellent and clear legal advice that was truly helpful!”

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Stone & Sallus

4.8 46 reviews

“There were some delays in the beginning due to covid and other factors but everything was handled in a professional manner.”

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Tree of Life Law Firm

5.0 50 reviews

“Edmund at Tree of Life Law Firm helped us revise our trust and not only was he very professional and honest, he was very detail oriented and made sure that every section of the trust was updated as needed.”

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Legal Action Workshop

4.2 37 reviews

“I would recommend him to anyone going through a challenging probate or even for estate planning.”

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Best Estate Planning Attorneys in Culver City, CA

Law Office of Colette T. Davis

Bergman APC

The Law Office of Barbara Bergstein

Law Office of Jerome B. Smith

Willow

Agape Esquire Law

Area overview: Culver City, CA

Van Duzer Law

Snyder Law Group

Ramer Law Firm

Joann Deutch, Attorney

MVP Law Group

RMO Lawyers

Stone & Sallus

Tree of Life Law Firm

Legal Action Workshop

Why these companies made our list

Estate Planning Attorneys near Culver City

Popular in Culver City

Guides: Estate Planning Attorneys

Best Estate Planning Attorneys in Culver City, CA

Law Office of Colette T. Davis›

Bergman APC›

The Law Office of Barbara Bergstein›

Law Office of Jerome B. Smith›

Willow›

Agape Esquire Law›

Area overview: Culver City, CA

Van Duzer Law›

Snyder Law Group›

Ramer Law Firm›

Joann Deutch, Attorney›

MVP Law Group›

RMO Lawyers›

Stone & Sallus›

Tree of Life Law Firm›

Legal Action Workshop›

Why these companies made our list

Estate Planning Attorneys near Culver City

Popular in Culver City

Guides: Estate Planning Attorneys

Law Office of Colette T. Davis

Bergman APC

The Law Office of Barbara Bergstein

Law Office of Jerome B. Smith

Willow

Agape Esquire Law

Van Duzer Law

Snyder Law Group

Ramer Law Firm

Joann Deutch, Attorney

MVP Law Group

RMO Lawyers

Stone & Sallus

Tree of Life Law Firm

Legal Action Workshop