Our firm covers several disciplines of the law.
We have expertise in matters involving real estate, property disputes, corporate, civil and partnership litigation, dental practice sales and purchase; interpretation and enforcement of contracts, homeowners association law, wills, trusts, and estate planning, business structure and formation and probate.
To learn more about what we can do for you just select the specific area of practice:
Corporate & Business Law
Litigation
Real Estate
Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning/Probate
Homeowners Association Law
Corporate & Business Law
The Law Office of Cindy A. Brand can help you comply with the constantly growing and ever changing array of rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, statutes and laws affecting your business. Each business is governed by different constraints and understanding those regulations is imperative to a successful business.
We represent businesses of all sizes in most of their legal needs. Our expertise includes the following areas where you may have questions:
• contract negotiations
• dental practice sales and purchase
• breach of contract actions
• purchase and sale of businesses
• real estate contracts and commercial leases
• entity formation (LLC, corporation, or partnership)
• corporate compliance
Most business owners understand that attention to a problem BEFORE it arises, costs much less than must be used AFTER the lawsuit has been filed.
The Law Office of Cindy A. Brand delivers solutions for your business and corporate clients that make sense for your needs and are aimed at your bottom line, not ours.
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Litigation
Litigation is a broad term that covers many areas in the practice of law. Litigation includes lawsuits, arbitrations, and special proceedings such as appeals. The Law Office of Cindy A. Brand provides counseling and guidance in all areas and can assist you in making an informed decision on your best course of action. In the event litigation is necessary, we have the expertise you need to see you through the entire process and will provide aggressive and effective advocacy for you every step of the way.
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Real Estate
The Law Office of Cindy A. Brand is able to assist our clients in all aspects surrounding real estate transactions. We have experience in virtually every aspect of real estate law such as commercial purchase contracts, commercial contract negotiations, commercial and leases from residential to commercial tenants. No transaction is too big or too small for the Law Office of Cindy A. Brand to provide individualized attention.
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| Value of Entire Estate | Minimum Probate Fee WITHOUT Proper Estate Planning | Probate Fees WITH Proper Estate Planning |
| $200,000.00 | $10,300.00 | $0 |
| $300,000.00 | $14,300.00 | $0 |
| $400,000.00 | $18,300.00 | $0 |
| $500,000.00 | $22,300.00 | $0 |
| $750,000.00 | $32,300.00 | $0 |
| $1,000,000.00 | $42,300.00 | $0 |
Living trusts allow you to control who gets your assets after you die. However, there are many more reasons for creating a living trust. A living trust can also provide you with more privacy than a will because you don't have to register it with the courts in probate. Living trusts can help avoid certain estate taxes if prepared properly. Finally, a living trust allows you to hand over management of your assets to someone else if you are unable to manage your assets yourself.
The Law Office of Cindy A. Brand provides affordable estate planning mechanisms to help you plan for your family's needs.
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Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning/Probate
Have you made provisions for your family in the event of your death? Do you have specific goals concerning the distribution of your assets upon death? Regardless of your net worth, each individual needs a valid Will, Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Directive and possibly a Trust.
A full probate taking one (1) to two (2) years is necessary when an individual dies without the proper estate planning documents and his or her assets exceed $100,000.00. This is true even if a person has a will. Given the high cost of housing in San Diego County, most people who own a home fall into this category. Because the cost for probating an estate is based on the estate's gross asset value, probate is necessary if your home is valued at more than $100,000.00 despite the fact that you may have less than that amount in equity.
An example of proper estate planning and not planning is set forth below.
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Homeowners Association Law
Collecting unpaid assessments, enforcing the association's governing documents, handling disputes and dealing with contractors are just a few of the issues that homeowners associations face on a daily basis. Serving as a member of your Board of Directors requires a significant investment of time and energy. No matter how committed you may be to managing affairs and addressing issues, you may not be equipped to handle complex association issues. Legal assistance can save the association money and headaches by improving efficiency and addressing situations before they escalate into expensive problems. As your legal counsel, the Law Office of Cindy A. Brand can help you to better understand the laws concerning homeowners associations, assist in resolving disputes, and provide other services including:
• Development and enforcement of Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, CC&R's and other governing documents;
• Counseling on interpretation of governing documents;
• Notification of CC&R violations and application of penalties;
• Collecting delinquent assessments.
Cindy A. Brand has over 18 years experience working with homeowners associations including CC&R enforcement and liens and foreclosures. Ms. Brand was recently successful at trial in a senior community enforcement action. Our collection efforts for recovery of past due assessments from delinquent owners has yielded outstanding results. We look forward to speaking with you whether an individual homeowner, property manager, or member of the Board of Directors.
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