You built something worth protecting. Let's make sure it gets where it's meant to go.
Wood Legal Group is a virtual law firm led by Portia M. Wood, Esq. We help families in California and Maryland put a clear estate plan in place. When someone you love has passed, we help California families settle what they left behind.
Answer a few questions in under two minutes. We will point you to the right next step.
For hardworking families who want to pass it on with care.
A plan is not about paperwork. It is about making sure the people you love are not left guessing. Here is who we usually help.
Parents of young children
Who will raise your kids, and who will manage their money until they are ready? You should decide that, not a court.
Families with a home and growing wealth
Real estate, retirement accounts and life insurance all pass in different ways. A plan makes them work together.
Adult children settling a parent's estate
Grief is heavy enough. We walk California families through probate one clear step at a time.
Newly named successor trustees
You were trusted with an important job. We help California trustees understand it and carry it out well.
Planning ahead, and settling what's left behind.
Estate Planning
Living trusts, wills, powers of attorney and health care directives, built around your family.
Learn moreCA · MDEstate Tax Planning
If your estate may be large enough to owe estate tax, the right structure can keep more of it in your family.
Learn moreCA · MDPlan Review and Updates
Married, divorced, moved, had a child? Your plan should change when your life does.
Learn moreCA ONLYProbate
When there is no trust, the court oversees how an estate is settled. We guide you through each filing.
Learn moreCA ONLYTrust Administration
For successor trustees who want to honor the trust, protect themselves and keep the family whole.
Learn moreCA ONLYConservatorships
When a loved one can no longer manage on their own, a conservatorship gives someone the legal authority to help.
Learn moreReady to talk, or want to learn first? Both are good answers.
Book a strategy session
A focused meeting with the firm about your family and your goals. You leave knowing what you need and what it will take.
- Pick a time that works for you
- Watch a short prep guide
- Complete your intake online
Watch a free webinar
Learn how wills, trusts and estate settlement actually work, at your own pace. When you are ready, book right from the webinar page.
- On demand, at your own pace
- Five topics to choose from
- Book or start intake any time
I explain the why before the what. Then we build it together.
Before I founded Wood Legal Group in 2018, I practiced criminal law and property litigation. Today I lead a virtual firm, so you can plan from your kitchen table instead of a downtown office.
“In my practice, I have counseled families who did not know where the accounts were, what documents were in place. The wealth was there. The structure was not. We do this work so you and your family can protect your wealth and pass it on.”
- Bar admissions
- California, Maryland
- Founded
- 2018
Four meetings. Five to seven weeks.
You always know what comes next and what we need from you. All four meetings happen online.
- Meeting 1
Intake
We learn about your family, your goals and what worries you. You receive your asset booklet.
- Meeting 2
Asset Meeting
We walk through what you own and how each piece should pass.
- Meeting 3
Review
We go through your draft documents together, in plain English, and make changes.
- Meeting 4
Final Signing
You sign one original trust and keep it. We keep unsigned versions in your portal, so no one can later dispute which version controls.
Keep your plan on schedule: return your asset booklet at least 24 business hours before your Asset Meeting. A late booklet can delay your plan by 30 days or more.
See the full processRead what families say, in their own words.
We do not pick which reviews you see. Read every one on Google, where our clients left them.
Wills, Trusts and Generational Wealth
What a will can and cannot do, why many families choose a living trust, and how to pass on more than money.
The best time to plan is while everything is calm.
Two minutes of questions. Then you will know exactly where to go next.