Before attending Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Donna Bachoura studied at the University of London, an international academic background that is unusual among California estate planning attorneys. She earned her J.D. in 2003 and joined the California State Bar in 2004, accumulating more than 21 years of bar membership with a practice centered exclusively on estate planning, probate, trust administration, and conservatorships. Her office is in Glendora, California, serving clients across the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
The firm’s estate planning work builds strategies designed for both incapacity and death, using trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives as the primary instruments. Plans are structured to reflect each client’s individual situation rather than a standard template: who needs to be protected, what assets are involved, how the client wants those assets managed and eventually distributed, and what contingencies need to be addressed. California’s probate thresholds and community property rules shape how planning is structured for residents of the state.
Wills and Will Amendments
A will remains the foundational document for directing asset distribution after death and, for parents, nominating a guardian for minor children. The firm drafts original wills and amends existing ones when circumstances change. A will that was accurate ten years ago may no longer reflect a client’s family structure, assets, or wishes.
Power of Attorney
A durable power of attorney designates an agent to handle financial and legal matters if the principal becomes incapacitated. Without one, family members may have no legal authority to access bank accounts, pay bills, or manage property. The firm drafts durable powers of attorney as part of a complete planning package.
Advance Directives
Advance directives include health care directives, living wills, and financial directives for incapacity planning. These documents specify the medical treatment a client wants and does not want, and designate the person authorized to make healthcare decisions when the client cannot. They are among the most consequential documents in an estate plan but are frequently omitted until a medical crisis prompts them.
Probate
California probate is the court-supervised process for administering a decedent’s estate when assets are not held in trust or do not pass by beneficiary designation. The firm reviews estates and counsels families on the most efficient transfer method. Bachoura is well-versed in California probate law and procedure, handling both straightforward and complex administrations.
Trust Administration
When a trust’s creator dies or becomes incapacitated, the trustee takes on legal obligations that are not always obvious from reading the trust document. The firm assists trustees in carrying out their duties correctly, which includes accounting to beneficiaries, managing assets prudently, and distributing the trust estate in accordance with its terms. The firm also represents beneficiaries who need to understand their rights under a trust.
Conservatorships
When an individual can no longer manage their own personal or financial affairs, a court may need to appoint a conservator. The conservatorship process is initiated through the probate court and involves ongoing reporting obligations. The firm handles conservatorship proceedings as both preventive planning and crisis response.
Special Needs Planning
Leaving assets directly to a beneficiary who receives public benefits such as SSI or Medi-Cal can disqualify them from those programs. A properly structured special needs trust supplements a beneficiary’s care using private funds without triggering that loss of benefits. The firm designs these instruments as part of estate plans for families whose planning must accommodate a beneficiary with a disability.
Succession Planning
For clients with business interests or other assets requiring continuity planning, the firm addresses how those interests transfer at death or incapacity.
Deeds and Notary Services
The firm prepares property deeds and provides notary services as ancillary services for clients whose planning involves real property transfers.
Attorney Profile
Donna Christine Bachoura attended Pitzer College for undergraduate studies and studied at the University of London before earning her J.D. from Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law in 2003. She was admitted to the California State Bar in 2004. Over 21 years of bar membership have been spent in a practice focused entirely on estate planning, probate, trust administration, and conservatorships. Her approach emphasizes transparent, clear representation: clients are given direct answers about their legal situation and what the firm recommends, without unnecessary complexity.
Initial consultations with Bachoura are 45 minutes, allowing enough time to understand the client’s circumstances before any recommendations are made.
Lauren Carrillo serves as Paralegal at the firm.
Location and Service Area
150 E. Meda Ave., Suite 220, Glendora, CA 91741
Phone: (626) 325-0660
Website: www.bachouralaw.com/
Office hours: Monday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Tuesday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The firm serves Glendora and surrounding San Gabriel Valley communities including San Dimas, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Hills, Claremont, Covina, Upland, and La Verne.
Frequently Asked Questions
What distinguishes a practice that focuses exclusively on estate planning, probate, and trust matters from a general practice?
A practice limited to estate planning, probate, and related areas has concentrated all of its continuing education, case experience, and procedural knowledge in those specific areas of California law. A general practitioner handles many areas, which produces broader but typically shallower familiarity with each. The depth matters most in complex administrations, contested proceedings, and specialized planning for situations like special needs beneficiaries.
What happens in a California probate when there is no estate plan in place?
When a California resident dies without a trust, the estate typically goes through probate if the value of assets subject to probate exceeds the statutory threshold. Probate is court-supervised, involves fees set by statute, and generally takes at least one to two years to complete. An estate plan with a properly funded trust can avoid this process entirely.
Who is responsible for administering a trust after the trustor dies?
The trustee named in the trust document assumes that role. Trustees have fiduciary duties to all beneficiaries, including duties of loyalty, prudence, and impartiality. Trustees who fail to carry out their duties correctly can face personal liability. The firm assists trustees in understanding and fulfilling those obligations.
What is a conservatorship, and when is it necessary?
A conservatorship is a court-supervised arrangement in which one person (the conservator) is appointed to manage the personal care or financial affairs of another person who lacks capacity to do so themselves. It is typically used when an individual becomes incapacitated and has not executed a durable power of attorney or advance health care directive. Estate planning is the preventive alternative to a conservatorship.
Does the 45-minute initial consultation mean the firm will prepare documents at that first meeting?
No. The initial consultation is for understanding the client’s situation, goals, and concerns. Based on what the attorney learns at that meeting, she makes a recommendation and provides a fee estimate. Document preparation follows a later agreement to proceed.