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  THE LAW OFFICE OF EDWARD B. BATISTA

 Current Location & Areas of Specialty

        Located at 416 Broad Street, Nevada City CA, I specialize my Nevada City and Grass Valley practice on trusts, estates (planning and litigating), wills, probate, real estate, contracts, and civil appeals.  I proudly offer some of the best values in estate plans (wills, trusts, etc.) for middle-income families.  Please read for my background and legal philosophy.

History and Practice  
        
        I have been practicing law since August of 1998, first with Ruby & Batista and then under my current law office, The Law Office Of Edward B. Batista.  During that time I have specialized in estate planning (wills, trusts, etc), estate litigation (disputes over wills, trusts, etc.), probate, contracts, and all real estate and property matters.  I also have experience in a wide range of cases involving consumer disputes, general litigation, and appeals.  
        In 1998 I began my legal career in Newport Beach, California, then in 2003 I moved to Nevada City.  I have proudly served about a thousand Nevada County and Orange County residents.  In 2005-2006 I had the privilege of serving as the Secretary of the Nevada County Bar Association.  During my years as an attorney I have worked for medium-sized law firms as well as being a sole-practitioner.  I currently love being a sole-practitioner – it gives me a greater degree of personal, professional, and intellectual freedom which translates into more creative and effective solutions for my clients. 

        I am happy to give free phone advice to anyone who is trying to tackle their own legal issue.  Call me! 

Legal Philosophy and Approach  
        
        I am not your average lawyer, and frankly, I'm proud of that.  Whether it involves litigation, estate planning, trusts, probate, or contracts I have a very straight-forward, practical, and cost effective approach to the practice of law.  I try to solve legal issues with the simplest approach first which can save thousands in fees.  This practical approach interestingly reveals my more intellectual side ... there is a beauty and power to simplicity that I find hard to resist.  However, when called for, my tactical and analytical skills are finely-tuned and rarely matched.  Ultimately I believe it's about balance and being sensitive to which approach will give a better result.  I have had the good fortune of working for various state and federal judges -- this probably had a great impact on how I approach the law.  In the end I never forget that you are paying me to achieve a result  -- not to simply go through the motions with a passive attitude.       
        A word about difficult cases: Anyone can win an easy case, but problem cases -- which most attorneys avoid -- are my specialty.   Frankly, they require a combination of creativity, heart, and brains that is not that common among "inside the box" lawyers.  If you have been told your case is a "loser" or that you should give up because you have no chance of winning, call me.  We'll see if we can figure out a way.     

My Thoughts About Being a Lawyer

        A lot is said about lawyers and not all of it is nice.  Personally, I have observed too many attorneys being needlessly combative, unreasonable, and generally "missing the forest for the trees" in everything they do.  Rest assured this is not my way.  People are often surprised what a normal guy I am.  To me, this is a great compliment and I believe it is the highest art of any good attorney.  

General Fee Structure  

        A word about my fees.  While the “going rate” for certain legal work is always a factor in any appropriate fee, I also try to have the fee fit the overall circumstances of the case and the work I do on it.  It’s against my nature to quote huge fees if I know the work involved does not warrant such a fee.  My goal is to charge a fair and reasonable.     

Low Cost Estate Plans

        As for my low cost estate plans, I offer some of the best estate planning services for middle-income families anywhere.  Whether you need a trust, will, power of attorney, or other type of estate plan, I take the time to understand and appreciate your unique family dynamic and I make sure that your plan gets implemented, not mine.  Ironically, I've noticed that some people seem leery of my low prices -- I usually just smile and tell them that as part of my commitment to their satisfaction I would be happy to accept double if it makes them feel more secure.  Nobody has yet taken me up on the offer!  I keep my estate plan prices low because it's part of a larger business plan that works for me.  In eleven years I have done nearly 1,000 wills, trusts, deeds, health care directives, and powers of attorney and I am confident that my services are among the best anywhere.  Additionally, I have been in court countless times over will/trust disputes (not drafted by me) which has made an invaluable contribution to my knowledge of proper estate planning.   (Be sure to check out my "Estate Planning Pitfalls" page).        

My additional qualifications/licenses include: California Notary Public and California Real Estate Broker.  I am licensed to practice before all California State and Federal courts. 

Thanks for taking the time to check me out.  

Edward B. Batista
416 Broad Street
Nevada City CA 95959

See me at Lawyers.com, nevadacountycommerce.com/business/attorneys, nevadacountybar.com, martindale.com , and calbar.org (State Bar "Attorney Search"), dre.ca.gov (Dept. of Real Estate "Licensee Lookup").