Davis Stirling Act/common interest developments

I would be happy to act as your mediator. I am not trained as a mediator, but I have attended lots of mediations, including mediations and arbitrations of HOA disputes, but where I was the advocate for the homeowner or the developer.  The law does not require you to use a retired judge. They're good, but they're expensive. There are some lawyers who have taken courses on being a mediator and who are good at it, and less expensive. Here in the SF Bay Area, I would recommend Fred Hertz, Michael Marx or Claudia Haggadus Long. If you appreciate this free advice, please remember to refer me to any friends or acquaintances who need a lawyer. Referrals are still our best source of new business. Do you have a revocable living trust to protect your heirs against probate? Probate takes forever, is expensive, and is annoying. Do your family a favor. Set up a trust, and put all your property, especially any real property, into the trust. Since it is revocable, you can change it, add to it, take property out of it, or even cancel it completely, at any time. We set up such trusts, provide a pour-over will as a back-up for any property that does not make it into the trust, provide you with blank durable powers of attorney for health care and financial decisions, in case you become incapable of making such decisions while still alive, and convey one piece of real property to the trust, usually the family home, for $1500.00. If you would like to hire me to do this, let me know, and I'll send you a list of the information I need. Dana Sack