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. See below

February 10, 2025

A: You didn't say if your half of the home is in your trust and the other half in your sister's trust (which is the most common way to do it if you already own the property) or if the property is in your parent's trust but your sister and you are named as beneficiaries of the property in your parent's trust. There is a difference.

First, if the property is in your parent's trust, it is possible that your parent could change the names of the beneficiaries, so I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. I've seen people change their minds a number of times and amend their trusts. But assuming the property is in your parent's trust, and your sister and you are named as beneficiaries when your mother passes, then the person(s) named as trustee(s) MUST follow the terms of your parent's trust. The trustee of your parent's trust is required by law to do what your parent said they wanted the trustee to do. So, for example, if the parent's trust gives the trustee discretion to allow one person to stay in the home, then it can be done, so long as the terms of the trust are followed.

One of the most common mistakes people make in Trust Administration (that's the name of the process trustees follow after someone passes away) is beneficiaries thinking the assets sitting in a parent's trust is THE BENEFICIARY'S asset because the parent died. That is not true. While the asset is in the parent's trust, it belongs to the trust and the trustee MUST handle that property in the way the trust says. It will not belong to the beneficiary until the asset is TAKEN OUT OF THE TRUST and handed to the beneficiary. At that point, a beneficiary can do whatever they want with the asset.

On the other hand, if the property is in your sister's and your respective trusts, the two of you can amend your trusts to do whatever you would like. Best wishes! ... Read More

Q. I'm just looking to see if ever had a trust or inhearitance from my father I was never notified

February 4, 2025

A: There is no way to know if you were entitled to an inheritance if your relative had a trust because trusts are not filed anywhere unless there is a claim brought, in which case there would be a Petition (think, "lawsuit") filed with the local Probate Court. Wills, however, are supposed to be given to ("lodged with") the Superior Court in the County in which your father lived/died. You should start by going to the local Superior Court and searching the probate records to see if a Will was lodged or a Petition filed under your father's name. If nothing is there, try asking your relative's closest family, friends, accountant, or lawyer. Accountants and lawyers may not be able to reveal any information due to privacy laws, but perhaps they can tell you who the executor or trustee was, so you can contact that person. Best wishes! ... Read More

Q. I’m the primary beneficiary and executor of a living trust, I was left a house with a mortgage that I am not

February 2, 2025

A: More information is needed to properly answer your question. One thing to note is that all debts and taxes must be paid before real estate may be distributed to the beneficiary (assuming the real estate was solely in the deceased person’s name.) So, if someone passed away and left only $10,000 in cash and a home, but owed $25,000 in taxes, the trust might be able to obtain a loan to pay off the taxes or perhaps the home must be sold to pay it off. Since each situation involves different amounts of assets and debts, it would be best to speak with an estate planning lawyer to see if there is a way to keep the real estate in your specific situation. Best wishes!