72/100LFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 273 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Estate Planning And Probate Lawyers in Lake Forest, CA: 2026 rankings
326 estate planning and probate lawyers ranked by LFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Highest LFR Score in Lake Forest: Pevney Estate Planning, LFR Score 72/100; 5.0★ from 273 Google reviews; open 24/7.
- 2
Open 24 hours (per Google): OC Wills & Trust Attorneys, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #2 of 326.
- 47
Most-reviewed: RE/MAX New Dimension, 854 Google reviews at 5.0★, the most of 326 ranked; ranked #47.
Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
326 Lake Forest estate planning and probate lawyers are ranked here by LFR Score, from nine published factors. 20 are open 24/7, 62 open Saturdays and 33 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.9★ across 326 rated law firms.
Top 10 estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest at a glance
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
| Rank | Business | LFR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Notable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pevney Estate Planning | 72 | 5.0★ (273) | Laguna Hills, 3 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | Top score |
| 2 | OC Wills & Trust Attorneys | 71 | 4.9★ (293) | Irvine, 4 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | Open 24 hours |
| 3 | Geiger Law Office, P.C. | 68 | 5.0★ (101) | Laguna Niguel, 11 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 4 | Askander Law Firm, P.C. | 67 | 5.0★ (134) | Corona, 16 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 5 | Law Office of James F. Roberts & Associates, APC | 67 | 4.9★ (152) | Anaheim, 17 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 6 | Amity Law Group LLP | 66 | 4.9★ (42) | Tustin, 10 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 7 | Law Office Of Kurt D. Elkins | 66 | 4.9★ (336) | Orange, 14 mi away | Sat | — |
| 8 | Wade Law Offices | 66 | 5.0★ (86) | Newport Beach, 10 mi away | — | — |
| 9 | Meier Law Firm | 65 | 5.0★ (332) | Newport Beach, 11 mi away | — | — |
| 10 | Law Office of James Burns | 65 | 5.0★ (186) | Aliso Viejo, 6 mi away | — | — |
All 326 estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest, in rank order
Ordered by LFR Score, a 0–100 score from nine published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
Based in Irvine, 4 mi away
71/100LFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 293 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Laguna Niguel, 11 mi away
68/100LFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 101 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Corona, 16 mi away
67/100LFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 134 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Anaheim, 17 mi away
67/100LFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 152 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Tustin, 10 mi away
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 42 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Orange, 14 mi away
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 336 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Newport Beach, 10 mi away
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 86 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Newport Beach, 11 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 332 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Aliso Viejo, 6 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 186 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#11 Morgan Law Group
Based in Newport Beach, 10 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 297 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Newport Beach, 10 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 224 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Garden Grove, 17 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 509 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Newport Beach, 11 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 16 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Laguna Hills, 3 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 14 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Costa Mesa, 14 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 518 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Newport Beach, 11 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 15 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#18 Snyder Law, PC
Based in Irvine, 10 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 156 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Rancho Santa Margarita, 6 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 46 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Irvine, 4 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 70 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Newport Beach, 10 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 105 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Santa Ana, 13 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 143 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Lakewood, 13 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 69 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Irvine, 10 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 114 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Lake Forest
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.4★ from 9 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Estate planning and probate lawyers ranked #26 to #50
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile. We publish the top 50 of 326 ranked estate planning and probate lawyers here; the rest are on their profiles.
Also serving Lake Forest
20 more estate planning and probate lawyers within 25 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a practice area we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Weiss Law Offices | 1.0★ (1) | In Lake Forest |
| C & H Trust Deed Services | 4.3★ (18) | In Lake Forest |
| Divorce & Civil Conflict Resolution Services | In Lake Forest | |
| Employer Advocates Group | 5.0★ (24) | In Lake Forest |
| Gigliotti & Gigliotti, LLP | 5.0★ (8) | In Lake Forest |
| Halavais & Associates | In Lake Forest | |
| Hershorin & Henry, LLP | 4.7★ (3) | In Lake Forest |
| Law Offices of Bradley S. Erdosi | 5.0★ (1) | In Lake Forest |
| Law Offices of Juana Trejo | 4.7★ (18) | In Lake Forest |
| Morris & Stone | 5.0★ (4) | In Lake Forest |
| O'Hara & Greco Attorney's at Law | 2.7★ (10) | In Lake Forest |
| Orange County Lemon Law Firm | 5.0★ (73) | In Lake Forest |
| Quintilone & Associates | 4.6★ (11) | In Lake Forest |
| Randall W Bisson Law Offices | 5.0★ (3) | In Lake Forest |
| Richard E. Young & Associates | 4.6★ (46) | In Lake Forest |
| Sabeti Law & Associates | 5.0★ (6) | In Lake Forest |
| The Law Offices of Barron Edward Ramos, APC | 5.0★ (2) | In Lake Forest |
| The Le Firm APC | 5.0★ (75) | In Lake Forest |
| The Varricchio Law Firm, APC | 5.0★ (7) | In Lake Forest |
| Welker Law Offices | 4.7★ (7) | In Lake Forest |
How we ranked Lake Forest estate planning and probate lawyers
We scored 326 Lake Forest estate planning and probate lawyers on nine factors, weighted as shown. A law firm is ranked when its practice area is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Lake Forest data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Bar status | 10% | An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded) | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7 | Measured |
| Practice focus | 15% | How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Law Firms Ranked reviews | 10% | Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |
How to choose an estate planning lawyer
- Check the lawyer’s status and any public discipline in the state bar or law society directory.
- Ask how many estate planning and probate matters the lawyer handles each year, and who at the firm will do the work.
- Get the fee arrangement in writing: hourly, flat or contingency, and which costs are charged on top.
- Ask how and how often the firm will update you, and how fast it answers calls and emails.
- Read recent reviews for how the firm communicated and billed, not only for outcomes.
- Ask what the flat fee includes: funding a trust, updates after life changes, and signing with witnesses.
- Meet more than one firm; many offer a short first consultation, sometimes free.
Questions to ask an estate planning lawyer
- How would you approach a matter like mine, and what are the realistic options?
- How do you charge, and what will the total likely cost?
- Who will be my main contact, and how quickly do you reply?
- Do I need a trust, or is a will enough for me?
- What does probate usually cost here, and how long does it take?
- Is there any conflict of interest that would stop you representing me?
Terms explained
- Contingency fee
- A fee that is a share of the money recovered, paid only if there is a recovery. Common in injury cases; not allowed for criminal defense or for securing a divorce.
- Retainer
- Money paid up front and held in a trust account, which the lawyer draws on as fees are earned.
- Flat fee
- One set price for a defined piece of work, such as a will or an uncontested matter.
- Limited-scope representation
- Paying a lawyer for part of a matter only, such as reviewing documents or coaching for one hearing (also called unbundled services).
- Statute of limitations
- The deadline to file a lawsuit or charge. It differs by state or province and by type of claim.
- Good standing
- A lawyer’s status as active and eligible to practise with a state bar or law society.
- Law society
- The body that licenses and disciplines lawyers in a Canadian province or territory.
- Board certification
- Recognition in a field of law by a state program or an organisation accredited for that purpose. Lawyers may only claim it when they hold it, naming the certifying body.
- Attorney–client privilege
- The rule that keeps confidential communications between a client and lawyer, made for legal advice, out of court.
- Conflict check
- The search a firm runs before taking a matter to make sure it does not represent someone on the other side.
- Pro bono
- Legal work done for free, usually for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
- Legal aid
- Publicly funded legal help for people with low incomes, through legal aid offices, public defenders or provincial legal aid plans.
Estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest: frequently asked questions
Which estate planning lawyer has the highest LFR Score in Lake Forest?
By LFR Score, the highest-ranked estate planning lawyer in Lake Forest, CA is Pevney Estate Planning with an LFR Score of 72/100. It has 5.0★ from 273 Google reviews. It is open 24/7. OC Wills & Trust Attorneys (#2) and Geiger Law Office, P.C. (#3) follow. We ranked 326 estate planning and probate lawyers on nine factors, last updated November 9, 2026.
How many estate planning and probate lawyers are there in Lake Forest?
LawFirmsRanked ranks 326 estate planning and probate lawyers serving Lake Forest, CA. 1 of them is based in Lake Forest; the rest serve it from nearby towns. Another 20 within 25 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
Which estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest are open 24/7?
20 ranked estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest post 24/7 hours. The highest-ranked are Pevney Estate Planning (#1), OC Wills & Trust Attorneys (#2) and Geiger Law Office, P.C. (#3). Hours come from each law firm's Google listing as of November 2026, so call to confirm.
Which estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest work on weekends?
62 of 326 ranked estate planning and probate lawyers post Saturday hours and 33 post Sunday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are Pevney Estate Planning (#1), OC Wills & Trust Attorneys (#2) and Geiger Law Office, P.C. (#3). Posted hours are office hours; many firms meet clients by appointment outside them.
What Google rating do Lake Forest estate planning and probate lawyers have?
The median Google rating among 326 rated estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest is 4.9★, with a median of 15 reviews. RE/MAX New Dimension has the most, 854 reviews, and ranks #47. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does LawFirmsRanked rank estate planning and probate lawyers?
Each estate planning lawyer gets a 0–100 LFR Score from nine published factors, led by reputation (25%), practice focus (15%), review volume (10%) and recency (10%). A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only law firms with a confirmed practice area and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do estate planning and probate lawyers outside Lake Forest count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 25 mi of the Lake Forest city center, our service radius for estate planning and probate lawyers. Each listing shows where the law firm is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the LFR Score, so a nearby law firm gets a small edge.
Can estate planning and probate lawyers pay to rank higher on LawFirmsRanked?
No. The LFR Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured law firms may appear above the list, labelled Attorney advertising and showing their honest rank.
How do estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest, CA charge?
Many estate planning lawyers charge a flat fee for wills, trusts and powers of attorney. Probate is billed hourly or, in some states, by a fee set by statute (California Probate Code §10810, for example). Lawyers using Clio billed an average of $391 an hour in this area (Clio Legal Trends data, October 2026; all areas $362). Ask for the fee arrangement in writing before you agree.
What happens if someone dies without a will?
State law decides who inherits (intestate succession), usually the spouse and children in set shares, and a court appoints someone to manage the estate. A will or trust lets you decide instead. This is general information, not legal advice.
How is this list of estate planning and probate lawyers in Lake Forest, CA ranked?
By LFR Score only, from public data on reviews, practice focus, office location and hours. Firms labelled “Attorney advertising” paid for that placement; payment never changes a rank, and a rank is not an endorsement.
Does a lawyer need an office in Lake Forest?
No, but the lawyer must be licensed in your state (or, for federal matters such as immigration, in some state). A local office makes meetings and court appearances easier, so proximity is one of our factors.
Update log for Lake Forest
- November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 326 estate planning and probate lawyers serving Lake Forest.
More estate planning and probate lawyers and Lake Forest pages
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