About

Kirsten Howe’s practice focuses on two closely intertwined areas of the law: business and estate planning. She has extensive experience in both. On the business planning side, Kirsten has represented numerous companies including startups, non-profits, small institutional lenders and investment advisors. She has assisted them from initial organization through ongoing compliance, growth, and succession. This background in business law makes her uniquely qualified to help business owners plan their estates and protect and preserve their businesses. She is particularly adept at helping clients structure their entities so that disputes are extremely unlikely to arise in the first place and, if they do, making sure they are resolved in the way that was expected.

Kirsten’s estate planning practice is an outgrowth of her initial focus on business planning. Many of her business clients were so impressed with her work that they asked her to handle all of their planning needs, including their estate plans. Kirsten now provides estate planning services to individuals and married couples, whether they own a business or not.

Kirsten was admitted to the California bar in 1987 and has had her own practice in Walnut Creek since 1997. She earned her J.D. cum laude at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she was a member of the Thurston Society and Managing Editor of The Hastings Law Journal. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 from the University of Michigan.

Kirsten is a member of the Business Law section and Trusts and Estates section of the California State Bar; the Business Law and Corporate Counsel section of the Contra Costa County Bar Association; the Conservatorship/Guardianship, Probate and Trust section of the Contra Costa County Bar Association; and the Estate Planning Council of Diablo Valley. She also sits on the board of directors of two non-profits.

12 Responses

  1. estate planning for resident alien spouses | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut [...]

  2. estate planning tips for gift splitting | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by [...]

  3. estate planning for same sex couples | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by [...]

  4. make advance health care directives a part of your estate plan | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by [...]

  5. Election 2008 impact on estate taxes | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. addthis_url = [...]

  6. When to take Social Security benefits | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. addthis_url = [...]

  7. Estate planning interest is usually non-deductible | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. addthis_url = [...]

  8. Status of transmuted property remains aftern divorce | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. addthis_url = [...]

  9. What happens to IRA on death of owner | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. addthis_url = [...]

  10. Estate planning tips for 2009 | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. We suggest: Perfect [...]

  11. Debbie Carmel Says:

    Kirsten,

    Please email me when you have upcoming Living Trust/Estate Seminars in 2009.

    Thanks much!

    Debbie (& Chuck) Carmel

  12. Estate Tax Tip for 2009: Family Gifts and Loans | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Says:

    [...] Howe practices estate planning law in Walnut Creek. Send your estate planning questions to Kirsten by e-mail. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ [...]

Leave a Comment

Your comment

You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.