Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate Attorney Las Vegas, Nevada and Laguna Beach, California
Charles W. Daff, JD, is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization, a designation earned by fewer than one percent of active attorneys in California. He has practiced in this field for more than twelve years and is licensed in Nevada and California.
Charles is an author or contributing author of the practice guides California attorneys use in this field, including chapters of CEB's California Trust Administration, California Estate Planning, and California Will Drafting, and articles in the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly and The Journal of Financial Planning. He has presented on estate planning and probate topics for the National Business Institute and CEB.
The firm handles estate planning, trust administration, and probate throughout Nevada and California, including revocable living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives; trustees' administration of trusts after a death; and court-supervised probate of estates.
Before founding the firm, Charles practiced in the trusts and estates groups of the 500-attorney national law firms Snell & Wilmer and Dorsey & Whitney. He received his BA in Business/Economics with an emphasis in accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his JD from the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where he was a member of the school's second graduating class and served as Senior Editor and Lead Article Editor of the UCI Law Review. During law school he interned for the U.S. Department of Justice and was a judicial extern for two federal judges.
Charles has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star by Thomson Reuters, a designation granted to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys based on peer recognition and professional achievement, and holds the highest rating, 10.0 "Superb," from the independent attorney rating service Avvo.
He has served as co-chair of the estate planning interest group of the California Society of CPAs for Orange County and Long Beach, and is a member of the Orange County Estate Planning Council and of the Trusts and Estates Sections of the California Lawyers Association and the Orange County Bar Association.
Charles is also a programmer. Combining both skill sets, he advises law firms on technology and delivers his own legal services with the efficiency modern tools make possible.
Email cdaff@cdafflaw.com or call (702) 490-9777.
Publications and Presentations
Practice Guide Chapters
- Contributing author, Ethical Considerations (Chapter 2), CEB California Estate Planning
- Contributing author, Marital Deduction Planning (Chapter 17), CEB California Estate Planning
- Contributing author, Principal and Income (Chapter 8), CEB California Trust Administration
- Contributing author, Trustee Compensation, Attorney Fees, and Other Administrative Costs (Chapter 9), CEB California Trust Administration
- Contributing author, Marital Deduction: Overview and Formula Clauses(Chapter 17), CEB California Will Drafting
- Contributing author, Marital Deduction Power of Appointment Trusts(Chapter 18), CEB California Will Drafting
- Contributing author, Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trusts and Qualified Domestic Trusts (Chapter 19), CEB California Will Drafting
- Contributing author, Bypass Trusts and Disclaimer Trusts (Chapter 20), CEB California Will Drafting
Articles
- The Formula General Power of Appointment: Guaranteed Efficiency Between Estate Tax Planning and Step-up in Basis, California Trusts and Estates Quarterly
- Not in the Family: When to Name a Corporate Trustee, The Journal of Financial Planning
Presentations
- Top 10 Things Estate Planners Need to Know About Planning for Retirement Assets, CEB
- Probate Boot Camp: Marshalling and Valuing Assets, National Business Institute
- Probate Boot Camp: Handling Debts and Creditors Claims, National Business Institute
- Special Planning for Special People, The Shea Center
- New Software Tools for Practicing Intellectual Property, The IPR Gorilla Conference
Estate
Planning
How to protect yourself and your family.
A complete estate plan keeps you in charge of your finances and your care, and can spare your loved ones the expense, delay, and frustration of court-supervised administration. For most clients this means a revocable living trust, a will, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives, designed and funded so they work when they are needed.
Trust
Administration
How to protect your legacy.
After a death, the successor trustee must administer the trust according to its terms and for the benefit of the beneficiaries, working through notices, inventories, accountings, tax filings, and distributions, each with deadlines and real liability for missteps. The firm guides trustees through the process from first notice to final distribution.
Probate
Administration
How to protect your inheritance.
When someone dies without a funded living trust, the estate generally passes through probate, a court-managed process in which assets are marshaled, debts are paid, and what remains is distributed under court supervision. The firm represents personal representatives and beneficiaries in probate proceedings in Nevada and California.
Consulting for Law Firms
Charles is an attorney who is also a programmer. Separately from the law office, he personally advises law firms and legal teams on selecting and building the right tools, automating document workflows, and adopting AI responsibly inside a practice.
Offices
Las Vegas
10161 W Park Run Dr, Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV 89145
Laguna Beach
352 3rd Street, Suite 301
Laguna Beach, CA 92651