When families sit down to talk about their future, they need more than just legal paperwork. They need someone who understands exactly what it feels like to navigate the complexities of life, disability, and long-term planning.
My name is Jolene Blackbourn. I am a California-based virtual estate planning attorney and a licensed funeral planner. My practice focuses on helping families establish wills, trusts, and comprehensive plans that reflect their specific needs. I operate a virtual law firm, meaning we can handle everything securely and conveniently from your home.
But my approach to this work comes from a very personal place. My understanding of the challenges families face isn’t just theoretical; it is based on my own life.
I realized early in my law career that estate planning is deeply personal. It is about making sure your voice is heard if you become incapacitated and ensuring your family is cared for when you are gone. I wanted to focus on work that provides practical, legally sound solutions for families navigating these difficult conversations.
My goal has always been to listen closely to my clients, understand their concerns, and help them create plans that are clear, actionable, and tailored to their specific circumstances.
My deepest connection to this work comes from my role as a mother. I have two children with special needs. Because of this, I don’t just practice special needs planning; I live it.
I have spent years navigating California’s complex systems for individuals with disabilities. I know the frustration and the steep learning curve involved in securing Regional Center services. I am intimately familiar with the intricacies of California’s Self-Determination Program.
I also know the persistent questions that keep parents of children with disabilities awake at night: “Who will care for my child if I can’t? How can I ensure they have a decent quality of life without disqualifying them from necessary government benefits?”
This personal journey fundamentally shapes how I practice law. When families come to me for special needs planning, they are speaking to an attorney who understands the stakes and the systems involved. I am translating the law for parents who are walking a very similar path to my own. Setting up a Special Needs Trust is a crucial step in ensuring a child’s future, and I approach it with the care and understanding it requires.
Over the years, I noticed a recurring issue. Families would create comprehensive wills and trusts, but when a loved one actually passed, they were still overwhelmed by the sudden need to make complex and expensive funeral arrangements.
I realized that comprehensive planning should address this stage as well.
To better serve my clients, I expanded my practice and became a licensed California Funeral Planner. Holding dual licenses (California Bar Number: 221789, California Insurance License: 4301911) allows me to guide families through incapacity planning, asset distribution, and pre-planning final arrangements. This combined approach is designed to reduce the burden on your loved ones during a difficult time.
Between work, family, and medical appointments, finding the time to visit a law office is difficult for many families.
I structured my practice as a fully virtual estate planning firm to address this. Whether you are establishing a basic will, a complex living trust, or comprehensive special needs planning, we complete the process online. You receive customized legal counsel from a California attorney without the commute.
Meetings happen from your home.
We schedule around your busy life.
You receive the same level of legal document preparation and advice as you would in a traditional office.
A Will is simply a set of instructions, indicating your preferred distribution. But if it is over the current probate threshold, your family will go through the probate process.
