Julie King

With 30+ years’ experience, Julie King practices law with the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. She is easy to speak with and talks in plain English (not legalese). Julie handles a wide variety of estate planning and business matters including: (1) ESTATE PLANNING - wills and trusts, health care directives, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, pet trusts, grant deeds and more; and (2) BUSINESS LAW - corporation/LLC/partnership formation, annual meeting minutes, corporate records, contracts, and employee training.

Julie served as in-house counsel to major international corporations, including Toshiba America, where she worked for 15 years and hired lawyers throughout the world. She has been a "client", so she understands clients' needs in a way many lawyers do not. Contact Julie today and see the difference!

Call or email today for a FREE initial consultation! (831) 275-1002 Julie@PierceKingLaw.com

• Form Corporations, LLCs and Partnerships
• Business Transactions & Contracts
• Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives
• Real Estate Grant Deeds and Related Documentation

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• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Pierce King, P.C. bills hourly or charges a flat fee, depending on the type of matter.

California

Since 1987

Founding Attorney

Pierce King, P.C., a Professional Law Corporation

2012 - Current

BUSINESS LAW - Negotiating and drafting a variety of complex business contracts, including an international Private Cloud Infrastructure and Management Services Agreement and a Funding Agreement involving the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. - Forming C and S Corporations, LLCs and Partnerships, and drafting documents related thereto, such as Buy-Sell and Operating Agreements, Bylaws, Annual Meeting Minutes and Board Resolutions. ESTATE PLANNING - Drafting a variety of wills and trusts (including Revocable Living Trusts, Special Needs Trusts and Pet Trusts), Health Care Directives and Durable Powers of Attorney, as well as Grant Deeds and other documentation relating to funding trusts. - Counseling clients in Trust Administration matters - Preparing, filing and representing clients in Probate actions

Director, Contracts and Intellectual Property

CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC

2007 - 2012

Assistant General Counsel

Toshiba America

1991 - 2006

Julie was an in-house counsel for Toshiba for 15 years and handled a wide variety of matters for the corporation. She helped the Human Resources Dept. with employment matters and policy drafting, the Sales Dept. with contracts, the Finance Dept. with guaranties, and anyone else in the company who needed assistance in any area of law. She would be honored to do the same for you. Call today!

Univ of California at Los Angeles

Undergraduate Degree

Loyola Law School

Law Degree

BEST LAWYER IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2024

BEST LAWYER IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2023

BEST LAW FIRM IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2023

Volunteer of the Year

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

2023

BEST LAWYER IN MONTEREY COUNTY

Monterey Herald Readers' Poll

2021

IMPOWER (Businesswomen inspiring each other and helping our community)

Vice President of the Board of Directors

2021 - Current

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Ambassador

2014 - Current

Monterey County Bar Association

Member

2007 - Current

California State Bar  # 132813

Member

1987 - Current

Central Coast Human Resources Association

Member of the Board of Directors

2019 - 2022

License to Practice Law

California Bar Association

Q. Managing dying uncle's estate in California without a will or trust.

April 11, 2025

A: I’m sorry to hear about your uncle’s health declining.

No one can get a power of attorney, or set up a will or trust for another person without their consent. For ethical reasons, he would need to be the person who tells the lawyer what he wants, if anything. Some people don’t want to do any estate planning and no one can force them to do it. Of course, that would be unfortunate for their loved ones because it may force them to go through a court process called probate, which can last many years. But if someone has sufficient mental capacity (from a legal standpoint) to handle his own affairs, he needs to say what he wants to do, who he wants handling his assets, and who will inherit his assets. Best wishes. ... Read More

Q. Can granddaughter be beneficiary in California probate with no will?

April 8, 2025

A: I’m sorry to say that, when people die without a will or trust, the law generally steps in and dictates who will inherit the assets. “Verbal wills” are not valid but, even if they were, it would be an uphill battle with everyone coming out of the woodworks saying their loved one “said he’d leave everything to me.” There is one small narrow exception relating to certain promises but, unfortunately, those are tough cases to win because the person claiming the inheritance must PROVE it in court. Depending on the dollar amount in controversy, it’s possible attorney’s fees could take a substantial chunk of the inheritance. All of this shows the importance of doing estate planning during your lifetime. If you don’t, your loved ones will be stuck with what the California Probate Code says. The law sets out a specific order in which blood relatives, spouses, and any adopted children would receive an inheritance. A probate lawyer can tell you if you fall within the narrow exception noted above. Otherwise, the daughters will likely inherit everything. Sorry about that. ... Read More

Q. How to proceed with share transfer requiring Medallion signature?

March 31, 2025

A: Very few people like dealing with Medallions! Most banks and credit unions stopped issuing Medallions years ago or, if they still do, they will only issue them for people who bank at their financial institutions. Alternatively, if you have an established business relationship with a financial advisor (such as at LPL Financial, Edward Jones, etc.), they may be able to stamp your documents for you. Otherwise, there is an online Medallion provider, but it charges approximately $150 per signature so, if someone owns stock in seven different companies, the fee will be approximately $1,050. The only way someone can use that online site is to have a web address and cell phone number. I recognize the overwhelming majority of people have both of those, but I have had some elderly clients who do not, so that can be a real pain! I hope that helps. ... Read More