Julie King

With 30+ years’ experience, Julie King practices law with the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. She is easy to speak with and talks in plain English (not legalese). Julie handles a wide variety of estate planning and business matters including: (1) ESTATE PLANNING - wills and trusts, health care directives, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, pet trusts, grant deeds and more; and (2) BUSINESS LAW - corporation/LLC/partnership formation, annual meeting minutes, corporate records, contracts, and employee training.

Julie served as in-house counsel to major international corporations, including Toshiba America, where she worked for 15 years and hired lawyers throughout the world. She has been a "client", so she understands clients' needs in a way many lawyers do not. Contact Julie today and see the difference!

Call or email today for a FREE initial consultation! (831) 275-1002 Julie@PierceKingLaw.com

Univ of California at Los Angeles

Undergraduate Degree

Loyola Law School

Law Degree

Founding Attorney

Pierce King, P.C., a Professional Law Corporation

2012 - Current

BUSINESS LAW - Negotiating and drafting a variety of complex business contracts, including an international Private Cloud Infrastructure and Management Services Agreement and a Funding Agreement involving the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. - Forming C and S Corporations, LLCs and Partnerships, and drafting documents related thereto, such as Buy-Sell and Operating Agreements, Bylaws, Annual Meeting Minutes and Board Resolutions. ESTATE PLANNING - Drafting a variety of wills and trusts (including Revocable Living Trusts, Special Needs Trusts and Pet Trusts), Health Care Directives and Durable Powers of Attorney, as well as Grant Deeds and other documentation relating to funding trusts. - Counseling clients in Trust Administration matters - Preparing, filing and representing clients in Probate actions

Director, Contracts and Intellectual Property

CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC

2007 - 2012

Assistant General Counsel

Toshiba America

1991 - 2006

Julie was an in-house counsel for Toshiba for 15 years and handled a wide variety of matters for the corporation. She helped the Human Resources Dept. with employment matters and policy drafting, the Sales Dept. with contracts, the Finance Dept. with guaranties, and anyone else in the company who needed assistance in any area of law. She would be honored to do the same for you. Call today!

License to Practice Law

California Bar Association

BEST LAWYER IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2024

BEST LAWYER IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2023

BEST LAW FIRM IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2023

Volunteer of the Year

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

2023

BEST LAWYER IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2021

IMPOWER (Businesswomen inspiring each other and helping our community)

Vice President of the Board of Directors

2021 - Current

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Ambassador

2014 - Current

Monterey County Bar Association

Member

2007 - Current

California State Bar  # 132813

Member

1987 - Current

Central Coast Human Resources Association

Member of the Board of Directors

2019 - 2022

California

Since 1987

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Pierce King, P.C. bills hourly or charges a flat fee, depending on the type of matter.

• Form Corporations, LLCs and Partnerships
• Business Transactions & Contracts
• Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives
• Real Estate Grant Deeds and Related Documentation

Q. How can I access information about my mother's trust if my brother blocks communication?

May 14, 2025

A: Successor Trustees should send a Notification by Trustee telling all immediate family and all beneficiaries that they have a right to receive a copy of the trust. If the Successor Trustee refuses to give someone a copy of the trust, it would be a good idea to demand a copy of the trust in writing. If that doesn't work, it's likely that a lawyer would have to send a demand letter quoting the law covering Notifications by Trustee. Worst case scenario, a Petition can be filed in Court and a judge can force the Successor Trustee to give a copy of the trust. But I hope it doesn't get to that level. Best wishes!

Q. I have a question concerning the validity of a Transfer on Death (TOD) deed in California.

May 14, 2025

A: There are two types of notarizations a notary may use: (1) jurats; and (2) acknowledgments. [You only need to know the names. Don’t worry about what they mean unless you plan to become a notary.] Notaries must follow different rules for each type of notarization.

Most commonly, real estate deeds are acknowledged with an acknowledgment, not a jurat. The word “Acknowledgment” is normally written directly above the section where the state of California and County are located along the left-hand side of the page. So, at the top of the notary section, look for the word “Acknowledgment”. If it’s there, it is most likely an acknowledgment, not a jurat. But a notary or lawyer would need to read the words in that section to be sure it contains the required language before they could say it is a proper/valid acknowledgment block (section).

The question of whether a document can be signed before a notary places their stamp on the document is answered in the 2025 California Notary’s Handbook, the link for which is here: https://notary.cdn.sos.ca.gov/forms/notary-handbook-current.pdf. See the bottom of page 25. The laws are different in each state and the notary rules change from year to year, so it is important to know which state and year is at issue.

If the notary section is a proper Acknowledgment, then it is possible in California in 2025 for the signer to tell the notary that they did, in fact, sign the document before going to see the notary. That’s called “acknowledging their signature.” If instead, a document has a Jurat, then the person must sign the document while the notary watches. ... Read More

Q. Will updating our Trusts after marrying trigger property tax reassessment in LA County?

May 13, 2025

A: Putting real estate into a trust does not cause a reassessment so long as the people own the same percentage of the real estate both before and after the transfer. Also, if someone has a trust before marriage, it is ALWAYS a good idea to update the trust after marriage. If the trust is not updated after marriage, California law gives the new spouse rights to the trust owner's (settlor's) assets -- even if the new spouse is completely left out of the trust. So, contact an estate planning attorney after you are married to learn how the laws apply to your situation. Best wishes!