Jeffrey Louis Gaffney
Helping people protect assets and plan their estates in North County San Diego.
Jeffrey Gaffney is a 24 year attorney and retired Navy Captain. Originally from New York, he moved to San Diego in 1985 and has remained here since, military duties permitting.
An attorney since 1993, Jeff is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law. He began as a law clerk in 1991, helping aggrieved investors recover from unscrupulous stockbrokers. A former registered representative ("used stock salesman") and principal (licensed manager of registered representatives), he began his own law firm in the midst of a scandal involving Prudential Securities' sales of limited partnerships. Since then, he has handled over 300 cases against brokerage houses.
Several years ago, Jeff combined trust and estates law into his practice -- a natural extension to the financial and planning advice he had been giving clients for years.
Jeff finished 30 years of active and reserve duty in March 2015. He enjoyed a successful career with eight years of active time, and 22 years of vigorous participation in the reserve. He led two major international exercises, served in the Middle East on several occasions, and had three command tours. His favorite job was a 2.5 year recall to active duty to run the Navy's history programs and museums; sadly this included being on the Navy Yard for the 2013 shooting.
An environmentalist, the Gaffney family has its own nonprofit organization to support sea turtle conservation, of which Jeff is the Treasurer (www.gaffneyseaturtleproject.org). He is also active with San Diego Coastkeeper. He enjoys summers in Central America working to preserve marine life.
A 1983 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego, Jeff was named the outstanding graduate in his major. He graduated USD Law School in 1993. He later received a Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in 2004. Jeff is also a graduate of the non-resident (non-degree) programs of the Naval War College.
- Elder Law
- Estate Planning
- Stockbroker & Investment Fraud
- Free Consultation
- Contingent Fees
- California
- English: Spoken, Written
- Attorney
- Law Office of Jeffrey Gaffney
- - Current
- For 25 years I have helped regular people solve their investment and planning problems, I primarily do estate planning, but I am also familiar with conservatorships and stock broker malpractice and fraud. I am proud to have been helping the elde community with all manner of financial issues and look forward to doing it for many years to come.
- Officer
- US Navy
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- For thirty years I was a Naval Officer, Reserve and Active. I served as a Surface Warfare Officer, leading large groups of sailors in complex situations worldwide.
- Clerk, then Attorney
- Law Office of John Allen
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- My first legal job. I began as a clerk while still in Law School and stayed on after I passed the bar. I spent those years learning how to sue a stockbroker and fix their greedy sins.
- Registered Representative and Manager
- First Investors Corp.
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- After I left active duty with the Navy I became a "used stock salesman", which I hated. I left there to attend Law School.
- SUNY Coll at Oswego
- Undergraduate Degree
- Univ of San Diego School of Law
- Law Degree
- US Army War College
- M.A. (2004) | National Securities Studies
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- Military graduate school.
- Distinguished Service Award
- San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program
- For my work with victims of domestic violence and elder abuse.
- Meritorious Service Medal. Numerous and various lesser awards.
- US Navy
- Wide variety of military awards for superior performance.
- National Meritorious Service Award
- Operation Homefront
- For work in helping to establish a new program for mobilized reservists.
- Marion Mahar Award
- State University of New York
- Named the Outstanding graduate in my major for my undergraduate degree.
- Black Belt, First Degree
- International Tae Kwon Do Federation
- California Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- California State Bar
- - Current
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- Elder Counsel
- Member
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- Q. does the trust have to get a s.s. number and pay taxes every year?
- A: You can make any trust into a Grantor Trust, where the original grantor (settlor; the guy with the money) just keeps paying the taxes himself on his 1040. Trusts have a very high tax rate so most people do it that way. When the grantor dies (even of a Living Trust) then you have to get the Trust its own tax ID and pay taxes.
- Q. Elderly parents have 6 year old will and trust. Will a holographic codicil be o.k. in California to make changes?
- A: Yes, the need to make formal changes to these documents, except to change a Trust you make an Amendment. So, they want two Codicils and a Trust Amendment. If you are doing it yourself, be VERY careful to make sure you write exactly what you want with no ambiguity.
- Q. Can you transfer your trust from California to another state jurisdiction without a court order
- A: Unless a Court created the Trust then you are free to do what you want with it. But there is no reason to "transfer" a trust. Except for self-settled irrevocable trusts, they are all pretty much the same and the states will recognize the other. I am not even sure how you would transfer one, except to amend it to change what law is governed by it.
