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Jeffrey Louis Gaffney

Estate planning Attorney at Carlsbad, CA

4.8   20 reviews
  • State Years
    California - CA 30 years
    Dist. of Columbia - DC 28 years
  • Licensed for 30 years
    State CA
    Acquired 1993
    Status
    Active No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 28 years
    State DC
    Acquired 1994
    Status
    Resigned No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About Jeffrey

Learn Jeffrey’s areas of practice.

4
Practice areas
  1. Estate planning
    30%
    Helping people plan their estates and protect their assets is now the main thrust of my practice. My experience with investments, fraud and elder abuse combine to make me a knowledgeable and caring advocate.

    11 years, 100 cases

  2. Probate
    30%

  3. Trusts
    25%
    Helping people plan their estates and protect their assets is now the main thrust of my practice. My experience with investments, fraud and elder abuse combine to make me a knowledgeable and caring advocate.

    11 years, 100 cases

  4. Wills and living wills
    15%
    Helping people plan their estates and protect their assets is now the main thrust of my practice. My experience with investments, fraud and elder abuse combine to make me a knowledgeable and caring advocate.

    11 years, 100 cases

My practice  is focused in Estate Planning, Probate, Trusts and Wills and Living Wills. It was an easy parallel move from all my work with financial planning, and after a few months of study I was ready to help people.

My guidelines for estate planning are to protect the estate from the ravages of debilitating diseases. The government will pay for your nursing home care without depleting your estate to nothing, but only if you plan it correctly and early. That is my primary goal for my clients after retiring as a Navy Captain, finishing thirty years Active and Reserve in March 2015.

After my Navy career, I went to law school at the University of San Diego. Being an Estate Planning Attorney is my second career.

Photos and videos

Office Manager
The family at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The Fearless Lawyer.  I am actually a dog person.

Contact Jeffrey

Jeffrey Louis Gaffney
1902 Wright Place
Suite 200
Carlsbad, CA, 92008
Jeffrey Gaffney
Emerald Plaza
402 West Broadway, Suite 200
San Diego, CA, 92101
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Reviews

4.8 / 5.0
  20 customer reviews
5 Star
 
95%
4 Star
 
0%
3 Star
 
0%
2 Star
 
0%
1 Star
 
5%
Posted by Suzanne Lurvey | September 25, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
He is what all attorneys should aspire to be
This is what all attorneys should aspire to be like. Mr. Gaffney was quick, very patient, and made us feel as if we were the only clients that mattered at that point in time. He got what we needed done very quick, and explained every little bit of it in a way that we could both understand. And his rates were more than reasonable. We were quoted 3 times that by other attorneys. If i could give ten stars, I would.
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Posted by Julee | March 23, 2023
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Beyond helpful.
Jeffrey Gaffney has gone out of his way to help me with questions regarding my Fathers Estate/Trust. There are so many questions when it comes to Wills/Trusts and one question always seems to give rise to yet another. Jeff has been gracious, helpful and extremely responsive to my requests. He is understanding, caring, professional and easily earns a "5 star" rating! I highly recommend him for your estate planning needs, no matter how big or small. Thank you Jeff for all your valued assistance. We are truly grateful.
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Posted by Margaret L. | February 2, 2022
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Responsive and precise
Very efficient and responsive with succinct answers on several rounds of questions I had with regard to a trust document I had drafted using DIY resources.
Posted by Tim | January 18, 2022
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Stellar Estate Planning Attorney!
Jeffrey was superb! It was a busy holiday weekend and Jeff put in some solid hours on short notice to help with a full gamut of estate planning docs, i.e. living trust, will, power of attorney, healthcare directives, etc. Jeff has a great deal of depth and knowledge of tricky areas, but always kept things light to alleviate the stress I was feeling. He did an excellent job at explaining and answering questions. He processed everything quickly and we were able to expedite everything faster than planned. I've used attorneys for both business and family before, so I am used to paying the high fees to get things done right and quickly. This time was different, Jeff was extremely reasonable with his final invoice. I can tell you that I had never paid more than invoiced for legal fees until I used Jeff. I actually paid extra!!! Call it a tip, if you want. He was well worth it and I highly recommend him.
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Posted by Narendra | October 26, 2021
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Very positive on: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, and Value.
He helped us write our Joint Living Trust and Pour-Over Wills. Every time accurate and to the point, excellent advice to make proper corrections. We are extremely pleased that we approached him, and will always want to.
Posted by Jesse | March 9, 2021
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Very helpful
Jeff answered questions clearly. He responded quickly and was both thorough and concise - answering complex questions in a way that I could understand and felt assured by. Would definitely return to him for further counsel without hesitation.
Posted by Rick | January 19, 2021
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Helpful where others were not. A+
He answered my questions where other attorneys were too vague to be of any help.
Posted by Prakash | November 6, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Estate planning
I highly recommend Jeff for any will, trust, and estate planning. I worked with few attorneys before but found him incredibly knowledgeable, meticulous, and easy to work with. He provided me with valuable insights and guidance throughout the process and helped me establish my trust very quickly.
Posted by Lori | September 17, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Last Minute Issue - Jeff to the Rescue!
I needed my self- written Trust reviewed and approved by an attorney asap. I was refinancing my home and this was required by the new loan company, as they informed me, a day prior to closing. I am a former Estate Planning Paralegal. It was obvious that Jeff was an expert in his field. He was pleasant and professional. He had the finished work in my hand in a half day’s time. The fee was very reasonable, less than others. A very positive, zero negative encounter. I’d most definitely recommend him. We were able to close on time- Thanks to Jeff’s super-fast, excellent help.
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Posted by Katharine | July 31, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Good job by Jeff
My husband and I already had a Living Trust written by a local lawyer who has since retired. I found Jeff through RocketLawyer.com. Jeff helped us update our Trust document in a cost-effective and timely manner. He was very responsive, affable, flexible, and informative.
Posted by Michelle | May 27, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Made a Simple Will Simple!
Jeff was VERY responsive, answered my question in layman's terms, not in legal jargon, and helped me complete my Simple Will within a short time! Thank you, Jeff, for making my Simple Will simple!!
Posted by Michelle | April 7, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Attorney for Estate Planning and Trusts
Jeff was professional, communicative, and helpful. He updated our Trust very quickly. He is very easy to talk to and is responsive to questions. He was very thorough.
Posted by anonymous | March 27, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Super helpful!
Jeff was extremely helpful in providing guidance on how to plan my Estate, including my Will, Power of Attorney, and Advance Healthcare Directive. He was extremely knowledgeable and ensured that the verbiage is legally permissible in order to avoid any confusion in the documents. He was personable and approachable, and I'm confident that my documents were done correctly. I would highly recommend Jeff!
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Posted by mjn | February 16, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Jeff Gaffney is an honest attorney working in the field of wills and trusts.
I have known Jeff for over 40 years and he's always been a smart, detailed person with a quirky sense of humor. I recently had to quickly update my trust and he had it completed in less than 2 weeks (most of those weeks were on my desk, not his) and was here on Sunday afternoon with the notary to get it signed .
Posted by anonymous | January 15, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent attorney
Jeff Gaffney revised our Living Trust and made the process super simple and easy. Highly recommend!
Posted by Jane | May 22, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Awesome person and an awesome lawyer
We are so grateful for Jeff and the services he provides . He has handled my will, my parent’s trust and my in law’s trust. He’s very patient and well informed. I appreciate all that he has done for me and my family.
Posted by anonymous | May 14, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Living Trust
We needed to revise our trust now that our kids are older. I am very please to have Mr. Gaffney's expert advice and guidance. Mr. Gaffney was very proactive, quick response and patience. Highly recommended Mr. Gaffney to be your attorney.
Posted by Kathleen | May 14, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Review
Mr. Gaffney was able to review and analyze a complicated family trust situation and give an easy to comprehend analysis. Mr. Gaffney's fees were reasonable and fair.
Posted by Venkatraman | May 14, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Jeff is a great attorney
Jeff is very knowledgeable, personable and a trust-worthy attorney. He is simply great to work with. We had the pleasure maintaining a fruitful business relationship with Jeff over the past 23 years!
Posted by anonymous | December 3, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Poor experience
We went to Jeffrey after seeing all of the favorable reviews. Unfortunately we were disappointed by his poor communication and lack of boundaries.
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Cost

Rates
  • Free Consultation 30 minutes
  • Hourly Rates $ 250-250 per hour
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 8.1 (Excellent)

Education

  • United States Army War College
  • MA - Masters
  • 2004
  • University of San Diego School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1993
  • State University of New York, College at Oswego
  • BA - Bachelor of Arts
  • 1983

Associations

  • Free Will
  • Fellow
  • 2019 - Present
  • Legal Aid Society
  • Volunteer Attorney
  • 2012 - Present
  • San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program
  • Volunteer Attorney
  • 2011 - Present

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Wiley E. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services
  • California Lawyers Association
  • 2019
  • Distinguished Service Award
  • San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program
  • 2018
  • Meritorious Service Medal
  • U.S. Navy
  • 2013
  • Army Commendation Medal
  • U.S. Army
  • 2011
  • National. Meritorious Service Award
  • Operation Homefront
  • 2010
  • Navy & Marine Core Commendation Medal
  • U.S. Navy
  • 2010
  • Joint Service Commendation
  • U.S. Navy
  • 2007
  • Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
  • U.S. Navy
  • 2004
View all awards

Publications

  • North County Times
  • Fraudulent Insurance Practices
  • 1996
  • Times Advocate
  • Fraudulent Brokerage Sales Practices
  • 1994
View all publications

Attorney endorsements

Received (1)
Given (0)
Endorse Jeffrey
Estate planning Attorney | Mar 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"The answers of Mr. Gaffney are accurate, full of analysis, and customized to the needs of the Avvo askers. These are exactly the qualities that every client would look for when hiring an attorney."
This attorney hasn't created any attorney endorsements recently on Avvo.
Carlsbad Estate planning Lawyer Jeffrey Louis Gaffney
Jeffrey Louis Gaffney
Estate planning Attorney
Carlsbad, CA
Licensed for 30 years
Free Consultation