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

• 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 Reader's Poll

2025

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

IMPOWER (Businesswomen inspiring each other and helping our community)

Vice President of the Board of Directors

2021 - Current

Monterey County Bar Association

Member

2007 - Current

California State Bar  # 132813

Member

1987 - Current

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Ambassador

2014 - 2024

Central Coast Human Resources Association

Member of the Board of Directors

2019 - 2022

License to Practice Law

California Bar Association

Q. What steps to take for estate administration in California after my mother's passing?

July 28, 2025

A: Most people are unfamiliar with the steps to take after a loved one passes away, so don't worry. That's perfectly normal. The first thing to figure out is whether your loved one had a will or a trust. People who own real estate in California most frequently have trusts rather than wills so family left behind avoid a lengthy court process called "Probate", which takes place in the Probate Courts. Search your loved one's home for important documents. Since your loved one owns real estate, you can also check is see how the real estate is titled, since that information is publicly available. Just check with the County Recorder of the county in which your loved one's home is located. If the home is just in your loved one's name, it is not in a trust, so that does not help. But, if the title to the home is something like "Jane Doe, Trustee of the Jane Doe Trust," then you know your loved one has a trust, which is a good thing! If your loved one had one or more attorneys, ask them if they know the name of your loved one's estate planning lawyer.

If there is only a Will or no estate planning, you likely need to file a Petition in the Probate Court. Just be prepared for a very bureaucratic process. For example, you must list all assets your loved one owned at the time of her death. If you put an asset on the wrong spreadsheet, you might logically think, "I've told the Court what assets she had, so I will be OK." But that's not the case. If an asset is listed on the wrong spreadsheet, the Court will reject it. A lot of people try to handle their own probate matters, become incredibly frustrated with the process, then hire a lawyer to handle it for them. Just know that, depending on the size of the County in which you are in Probate Court, the process will last one year (very small counties) to four or more years (large counties.) People do not receive their inheritances until the Probate Court authorizes the exact amounts each creditor and and each beneficiary (people who benefit by getting an inheritance) will receive. So, at the very end of the probate process, people receive their inheritances. It is a long process, so please be patient.

If you have a trust and the home is in the trust, you can follow a completely different procedure starting with a Notice that is required by law. The process is too lengthy to include it all here. But this should get you started! Best wishes. ... Read More

Q. Can I notarize USPS Form 1583 for my father with POA without his presence?

July 24, 2025

A: Powers of attorney very rarely allow the agent (the one with the power to act for another) to do anything and everything. Most powers of attorney say what exact powers the agent has. If a power of attorney does not say the agent has the power to do what the agent wants to do, it is best to assume the agent cannot do it. In that case, it is always best to have an attorney read your particular power of attorney (since they are all different) and see what your document allows you to do.

Q. Can a lawyer bypass an agent with a valid POA to contact the principal in California?

July 19, 2025

A: The answer would depend on information that is not in your question. For example, what does the Power of Attorney (POA) say about when it goes into effect? Just because a POA is legally valid does not automatically mean someone (called an “agent”) can start using the POA to make decisions for another person (called the “principal”.) Most, if not all, POAs say what must happen before the agent can start using the POA, and what authority or powers the agent has. As to the lawyer, who is the lawyer’s client? As you can see, this situation cannot be analyzed without more information. Sorry about that. Best wishes.