Lawyer of Firm Description

About Shannon B. Jones Law Group — Estate Planning Danville, California

Shannon B. Jones Law Group delivers comprehensive estate planning in Danville through attorney Elizabeth Johnson, who serves Contra Costa County families with living trusts, special needs planning, estate administration, and trust restatements. Operating from a West El Pintado office in one of the Bay Area’s most affluent communities, the firm combines technical depth with a genuine talent for teaching clients to understand and own their estate plans.

Clients consistently describe Elizabeth Johnson’s approach as uniquely thorough — she learns every facet of a client’s financial life before drafting documents, explains concepts through storytelling rather than legal jargon, and produces organized binders and digital backups that put the entire estate plan at clients’ fingertips. The result is a completed plan that families can actually use, not just file away.

What Clients Say

Reviews are uniformly exceptional, with clients repeatedly noting that Shannon B. Jones Law Group’s approach surpassed every prior estate planning experience they had. One client who had completed four prior trusts with other attorneys found Elizabeth’s work far more comprehensive and personalized. Others describe her as direct, methodical, and skilled at gently motivating clients who have been procrastinating on estate planning for years. Multiple reviewers note the organized binder and flash drive she provides at the conclusion of the engagement — a practical touch that reflects the firm’s whole-client orientation.

Estate Planning Danville — Practice Areas & Services

Revocable living trusts and trust restatements
Wills, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives
Special needs trusts for disabled family members
Trust and estate administration
Real estate title transfers into trusts
Executor duties and probate assistance

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a living trust important for Danville homeowners?

California property values are among the highest in the nation, and Contra Costa County homes have appreciated significantly in recent years. A revocable living trust allows property to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate — a public, time-consuming, and often expensive court process. For high-value estates, the savings in probate costs and the privacy protection alone justify the upfront investment.

What is a trust restatement, and when is it needed?

A trust restatement updates an existing trust’s terms without creating a new trust, preserving the original trust’s assets and title while reflecting changes in law, family circumstances, or the grantor’s wishes. Major law changes — such as the federal tax law revisions in recent years — often require restatement to ensure trusts remain optimally structured.

Does California have an estate tax?

California has no state estate or inheritance tax. However, federal estate tax applies to estates exceeding the federal exemption threshold ($13.61 million per individual in 2024). High-net-worth Danville residents benefit from proactive planning to maximize available exemptions and minimize federal exposure.

Quick Facts: Estate Planning in Danville, California

California’s state estate tax exemption is $12.06 million per individual, with no separate state estate or inheritance tax. (Matt W. Harris Attorney)
Contra Costa County has over 700 estate planning attorneys listed on Avvo, reflecting the region’s high demand for trust and estate services. (Avvo)
California probate fees are set by statute as a percentage of the gross estate, making trusts a significant cost-saving tool for Bay Area homeowners. (Matt W. Harris Attorney)

AI-Powered Reviews Summary

Shannon B. Jones Law Group in Danville, California, is highly regarded for its exceptional legal services in estate planning, with clients consistently praising attorney Elizabeth for her expertise and personalized approach. Reviewers highlight her ability to simplify complex legal concepts through relatable explanations and storytelling, making the process accessible and stress-free. Many clients express their gratitude for her patience, thoroughness, and the comprehensive documentation she provides, ensuring that their estate planning needs are not only met but exceeded.

Users Reviews Comments – Google

It has been a pleasure working with Elizabeth and I highly recommend her. She has a great ability to explain complex law situations with real life samples. This ability paired with her proactiveness, and vast knowledge makes Elizabeth a great attorney.

After my husband passed away, I knew that I had to update our trust to assure that I, and my three sons and their families, would be able understand what would happen upon my passing. Elizabeth was kind, knowledgeable, and very patient in explaining the process and the legalities entailed. She helped me organize all the documents necessary and helped me get a much better understanding of my own financial records. She is always available for any questions I have and definitely personalized the entire process. The end process is a very accessible binder of all the information in one, organized place, including a flash drive with the same information stored. I would and have recommended her to my friends and family with great confidence.

It was a pleasure working with Elizabeth on our estate planning. She is highly knowledgeable and has a unique way of explaining complex concepts through storytelling, making everything much easier to understand. Unlike other lawyers, Elizabeth takes the time to truly understand every aspect of our life—including finances and assets—to ensure a comprehensive and personalized approach. She also provided thoughtful alternatives based on our situation and guided us seamlessly through the entire process from start to finish.

My wife and I was recommended by a friend to reach out to Eliz for estate planning. We had no knowledge on estate planning at all before we met Eliz but she guided us through the process with much patience which we appreciate. We are happy with her having assisted us.

Elizabeth is wonderful to work with, from the beginning stages of estate planning all the way through to helping with carrying out executor duties. She was very helpful in gathering needed documentation, always prompt with her replies to questions and very efficient. She is professional, but also very considerate and empathetic to the emotional side of estate planning. I would highly recommend her.

We are a document driven world these days and it can be a bit overwhelming. Elizabeth with the Johnson Law Firm made my estate planning easy to accomplish and in a short amount of time. She is direct, methodical, and knows when to gently prod to accomplish your goals. I had to create a trust, a special needs trust for a disabled family member, as well as to complete other needed documents such as the Advance Directive and Powers of Attorney.

Elizabeth is outstanding. Very well organized & a wonderful help. In a very difficult time for us she guided us, explaining every step in a easy to follow detailed way. At the end of your time with Elizabeth you’ll have everything you need.

I had the pleasure of referring Elizabeth Johnson of Johnson Law Firm to a COMPASS Realtor whose client needed legal assistance with an estate to successfully close an escrow. Elizabeth immediately stepped in, offering her expertise. In the end, all parties were extremely satisfied with the outcome. She is also an active member of the Danville community! I’m confident in her abilities and will continue to refer clients to Johnson Law Firm without hesitation! Thank you SO MUCH Elizabeth!

A true and rare ultimate professional, I would not hesitate to recommend Elizabeth to my closest friends and family! At her rates, her services are a true value. I have dealt with other trust attorneys in the past and in my experience, they ask you some basic questions, hit print and spit out a boiler plate trust. Elizabeth takes a deep dive into getting to know every aspect of your life with respect to finances and assets. She walks you through the entire process from A-Z! Her follow through and follow up is legendary. Thank you Elizabeth, my wife and I truly enjoyed our time with you in our multiple meetings. It feels so satisfying to finally have our family trust matters done and behind us! !

Elizabeth hands down provides excellent estate planning services. My husband and I had our Trust done four previous times through the years. We found that Elizabeth provided us a much more comprehensive, detailed and thoughtful plan as well as clearly communicated the why’s behind every choice. We highly recommend selecting Elizabeth for all your estate planning needs.

Because of tax law changes, our very old trust needed to be restated. Receiving a recommendation from a friend introduced me to Elizabeth C,A, Johnson, JD, LL M in Danville California. Elizabeth is methodical, organized, and gets right down to business. She met with me a few times, found out what was needed and outlined what needed to happen. And, she GOT IT DONE. Not only was it done in a reasonable time, she provided a notebook that organized records and the required legal documents. This notebook will hold every paper needed to access the trust for our heirs. Bottom line: trust is up to date; paperwork is organized; we are breathing a sign of relief—in good time and at a reasonable price.

I recommend Johnson Law Firm for setting up your Living Trust. This is something I have been putting off for quite a while and Elizabeth made it very easy for us to properly have everything in place for our family. Five stars!

Very Detailed and answered all of our questions.

Elizabeth diligently resolved both a title issue and a complex trust proceeds issue for us. Without her assistance, our family would not have been able to sell the house under the trust or negotiate the proceedings with our sibling.

We were looking to update our Trust, meeting Elizabeth However took us to a whole new level of Perfection. She has amazing teaching skills to help you understand the Laws. By the time it was completed we realized how unorganized we were before her work.