Protect your family. Plan with confidence.
Wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, trust administration and probate — explained in plain English by attorney Irina Sherbak, so your wishes are clear and your loved ones are spared the cost and delay of probate court.
- A law practice dedicated to estate planning, trusts and estates
- Plain-English explanations of every document
- English & Russian spoken · Scripps Ranch office off the I-15
Estate planning services for San Diego families
Whether you are starting your first plan, updating an old trust, or settling a loved one’s estate, you get clear guidance and documents tailored to your family under California law.
Estate Planning
A complete, customized plan to protect you, your family and your legacy.
Learn more →Living Trusts
Keep your family out of probate court and keep your affairs private.
Learn more →Wills & Pour-Over Wills
Name guardians for your children and make sure nothing is left behind.
Learn more →Trust Administration
Step-by-step guidance for trustees after a loved one passes.
Learn more →Probate
Help navigating San Diego probate court when there was no trust.
Learn more →Durable Power of Attorney
Choose who manages your finances if you can't.
Learn more →Clear answers from the attorney who drafts your plan
Irina Sherbak is the founder and principal of the Law Offices of Irina Sherbak, APC, a law firm dedicated to the preservation, protection and distribution of estates. Clients consistently point to the same thing: she explains the purpose of every document in a way that is easy to understand.
A graduate of UC San Diego and California Western School of Law, Irina has been practicing estate planning law in San Diego since 2013. She is fully bilingual in English and Russian and is passionate about helping immigrant families and new U.S. citizens protect what they have built.
A simple, guided process
Most clients are surprised how straightforward it is. One client described it this way: “Three meetings is all it took.”
Consultation
We talk about your family, assets and goals, and answer your questions. The first 30-minute consultation is free, in person, by phone or by Zoom video.
Design your plan
Irina recommends the right documents — trust, will, powers of attorney, health care directive — and explains each one.
Review & sign
You review drafts, ask questions, request changes, then sign with proper witnessing and notarization.
Fund & maintain
We guide you through transferring assets into your trust and recommend periodic reviews as life changes.
My husband and I had a great experience working with Irina. She prepared our Estate Plan in a professional manner. The Estate Planning process seemed like an overwhelming burden to take on, but Irina guided us through it. She was very patient and explained everything to us in a way that made all the confusing paperwork clear, and helped us feel comfortable with the important decisions we had to make for our family’s future. We have recommended Irina to family and friends, and will continue to do so. We love working with the Law Offices of Irina Sherbak!
Having set up a family trust in 2004 (with the help of a different attorney), I found myself, this year, in great need of a review and update. I contacted the Law Offices of Irina Sherbak and found her to be highly professional, thorough, and totally attentive to details. She patiently answered all my questions and was in tune with the specific changes I requested. I enthusiastically recommend the Law Offices of Irina Sherbak.
It has been a wonderful experience for us to work on something that we don’t really want to think about with Ms Sherbak. She is knowledgeable, pleasant, thorough and responsive. In this day and age when so many just want to rush through and get the business over with, she never makes you feel you are wasting her time. In fact, she takes time to explain every little concern and gives you her full attention. Sometimes, we feel she has become a friend and has our best interest at heart. Ms Sherbak is someone we would highly recommend to anyone interested in having a will/trust done as we all know having to go through probate is not what we want to put our family through when the time comes.
Recognized in the San Diego legal community
- Super Lawyers — San Diego Rising Stars, 2019–2022
- San Diego Daily Transcript — selected as a San Diego County Outstanding Young Attorney, 2014
- San Diego Reader “Best of 2021” — Finalist, Best Law Firm/Attorney – Business/Estate Planning
- Featured in San Diego Family Magazine (December 2014) and guest on local radio programs discussing estate planning
- Former President and Vice President, California Western School of Law Alumni Board of Directors
Awards and recognitions are not a guarantee of future results. Rising Stars selection is made by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service; see superlawyers.com for methodology.
Quick answers to common questions
Do I need a living trust or just a will in California?
For many California homeowners, a revocable living trust is the better fit because assets held in a properly funded trust pass to your beneficiaries without probate. A will alone generally has to go through probate court if your estate is above California's small-estate limit. A will is still essential for naming guardians for minor children. The right answer depends on your assets and family, which is what a consultation is for.
How much does probate cost in California?
California sets the attorney's and executor's base fees by statute (Probate Code §§ 10800 and 10810): 4% of the first $100,000 of the estate, 3% of the next $100,000, 2% of the next $800,000, and lower percentages above that. The fee is based on the gross value of the estate, not equity — so a $1,000,000 estate means a statutory fee of $23,000 to the attorney and another $23,000 to the executor, plus court and other costs.
What happens if I die without a will in California?
Your property is distributed under California's intestate succession laws (Probate Code §§ 6400–6414), usually through probate. Your community property goes to your surviving spouse, but separate property may be split between your spouse and your children, parents or siblings. A court — not you — decides who serves as administrator and, for minor children, who serves as guardian.
Where is your office?
The firm is in Scripps Ranch at 10620 Treena St., Suite 230, San Diego, CA 92131 — right off the I-15 between Carroll Canyon Road and Mira Mesa Boulevard. We serve clients throughout San Diego County.
Do you work with Russian-speaking clients?
Yes. Irina Sherbak is fully bilingual in English and Russian and works with Russian-speaking families throughout California, including recent immigrants and naturalized U.S. citizens.
Scripps Ranch office, serving all of San Diego County
Conveniently located right off the I-15, between Carroll Canyon Rd. and Mira Mesa Blvd., with free on-site parking.
Law Offices of Irina Sherbak, APC
10620 Treena St., Suite 230
San Diego, CA 92131
(858) 208-8900 · irina@sdestatelawyer.com
Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM, or by appointment