SAN DIEGO ESTATE PLANNING, TRUST & PROBATE
San Diego attorney Ramon Lamelas personally guides you through estate planning, trust administration, and probate with precise legal work and compassionate attention to your family’s needs. He is certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. You can work directly with Ramon in English or Spanish.
ESTATE PLANNING, TRUST & PROBATE LAWYER
Attorney, Founder
Ramon has spent his entire legal career practicing Trusts & Estates law.
0.5%
Less than one-half of one percent of California attorneys are Certified Specialists in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, and as of July 2025, there are only 13 in San Diego County that also speak Spanish.
5%
Less than five percent of attorneys nationwide are awarded an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, which is the highest level of recognition, based on peer reviews from judges and fellow attorneys.
2.5%
No more than two and a half percent of eligible attorneys in each state are selected by Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star, which Ramon has achieved for five (5) consecutive years from 2023 to 2027.
10.0
A perfect 10.0 is the highest possible attorney rating on Avvo, based on things like experience, credentials, awards, publications, speaking engagements, bar and industry recognition, and peer endorsements.
At Lamelas Law, PC, we provide the following legal services:
Plan for your family’s future with an estate plan tailored to your needs. San Diego attorney Ramon Lamelas personally prepares living trusts, wills, and incapacity documents, explaining your options and guiding your decisions in English or Spanish.
Understand your responsibilities as trustee after a loved one’s death. Ramon Lamelas guides trustees through California trust administration, including required notices, beneficiary communications, and preparations for distributions, with careful legal work and personal guidance in English or Spanish.
Get help settling a California estate, with or without a will. Ramon Lamelas guides executors and administrators through probate, first evaluating whether a spousal property petition or another simpler procedure is available. Work directly with him in English or Spanish.
Work directly with Ramon in Spanish for estate planning, trust administration, and probate. A second-generation Cuban American, he grew up speaking Spanish at home and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Southern California. He continues to serve on the USC Latino Alumni Association’s Scholarship Review Committee. Making legal guidance accessible to Southern California’s Spanish-speaking individuals and families is an important part of his work at Lamelas Law.
Legal documents are prepared in English, with explanations and personal guidance in Spanish.
CLIENT REVIEWS
My mom chose me to be her executor in her will. When she died, I needed to start a probate for her, but I was worried about what to do with my brother because he had been living with Mom for years. We needed to sell the house, but he didn’t want to leave. I called Ramon and he handled everything. He got me appointed personal representative and then started a dialogue with my brother. We were able to get him to move out and, even though he wasn’t happy about it, I still have a relationship with my brother thanks to Ramon.
I was the trustee of my grandparents’ trust after they died and had no idea where to start, but my friend said I should talk to Ramon and that was the best decision I ever made! He guided me through the entire process and made this difficult time a little easier. There were some things that I had to do as the trustee, like going to the bank and closing out accounts, but Ramon handled everything else. He handled communications with the beneficiaries and connected me with a great CPA for their last tax return and a realtor to sell their home and was always kind and available to answer questions. I couldn’t have settled this trust without him.
When my husband died, I found out that our house was only in his name. I thought I was going to need a probate and reached out to Ramon. He explained that, because the house was purchased by both of us while we were married, we might be able to use a Spousal Property Petition to get the property into my name. He filed that petition, handled the hearing, and got the home into my name. We were able to do it in a few months with just one hearing, instead of having to take years on a full-blown probate. It was such a relief! I’m so glad that I had Ramon to advise me on this strategy!
My mom, Dolores, asked me to write this for her because she does not speak English. These are her words: I came from a small town in Chiapas, Mexico, and only speak Spanish. I immigrated to the United States when I was young and have worked hard my whole life. Last year, I had some medical problems and decided I needed a will, but there aren’t many estate planning attorneys that speak Spanish. The first one I spoke with said he spoke Spanish, but his Spanish was not very good and I wasn’t comfortable with him. Then I found Ramon. He’s a native Spanish speaker and was able to explain everything to me in detail in Spanish. I was completely at ease with him. He was such a godsend! He explained to me that I really needed a trust because I have a house and my family would end up in court when I die, unless I have one. Now thanks to Ramon, I have a trust and a complete estate plan. I understand all of it and have peace of mind.
Ramon handled the super complicated probate of my dad’s estate and made a tough situation easier to handle. I live in Tennessee, but my dad lived in California. His house was going to be foreclosed on. Ramon stepped in, filed the petition quickly, and got me appointed in time to stop the foreclosure. He coordinated with the realtor and escrow to make it an easy sale for me. Then, I wasn’t able to get into his Apple account, but Ramon filed a special petition that got me access. He handled all of the legal items, including court appearances, so I never had to fly to California for court. He made everything easy to understand and, even though I am 2 time zones away, he was always responsive every time I had a question. I couldn’t have done this without him!
I called Ramon when my mom died because I needed to sell her house and a friend said I needed probate. The whole thing seemed overwhelming until Ramon explained it in language I could understand. He handled all of the court stuff and I never had to step into a courtroom, which was a huge relief. He followed up with me to explain what happened after every hearing and was always thorough. Ramon was patient and understanding the whole time, but I don’t want my kids to have to go through this when I die, so I worked with him to create a trust. I can’t recommend him enough.
Ramon started our first estate planning meeting by reviewing our specific family and financial circumstances. Then he went over every document for us one-by-one, from the trust and wills to the powers of attorney and advance health care directives, and most importantly the nomination of guardian for our kids. He made sure we understood every document and then asked us all sorts of questions to help make sure the plan met our exact needs. He made really complicated decisions easier by explaining all the legal concepts and then offering great practical advice, that was easy for us to understand. At the end of the process, we felt like our family was protected and it was a huge relief.
Ramon is everything you could wish for in an attorney: he's a great listener and an exceptional communicator, he's thorough, patient, well prepared and explains everything in as much or as little detail as requested. I couldn't imagine being more satisfied with the experience and have already recommended Ramon to my family, my friends and my clients. Thank you for keeping my family protected and for making it such a pleasure!
When my aunt died and named me as successor trustee of her trust, I had no idea what to do. Ramon took the time to explain everything to me and then walked me through every step of the way, from collecting death certificates to mailing notices to beneficiaries, all the way to distributions and closing the trust. I had never done anything like this before and he made this complicated process a whole lot less difficult. On top of that, my relationship with my cousins is complicated and his professionalism and constant communication made everything run smoothly. He was always compassionate and patient. I would recommend him to anyone dealing with the death of a loved one.
We set up our trust over 30 years ago when our kids were in middle school and high school and now they’ve got kids of their own. We’re not rich, but we’ve always been comfortable, so we went to one of the big-name firms downtown and paid an arm and a leg for that plan. When we looked up the lawyer to update the trust, he had retired, so our accountant recommended we talk to Ramon. He provided better, more professional service than our high-priced lawyer ever did. He reviewed our trust and explained that when we set it up, the estate tax exemption was less than a million dollars per person, so our old lawyer had set up our trust as an ABC trust to help with taxes. Apparently, that creates a lot of extra work when we die and we can now have up to 30 million dollars without worrying about taxes. We had no idea. He went through the pros and cons of the different options and we ended up choosing the one where everything goes to the survivor when one of us dies. We also talked about how our investment properties should be in LLCs and he formed those for us too. Amazingly sharp and professional young man. We’ve already given three of our neighbors his business card. If you’re looking for a trust and estate attorney, you should call him.
My husband and I don’t have a lot of assets, just our house, cars, and a little money in the bank. But we just welcomed our first baby, so we knew it was time to get wills or a trust or something. We were worried about the process being complicated and expensive because we just needed something simple, so we looked at trustandwill.com and Legal Zoom, but we didn’t trust them to do a good job. A friend said Ramon did her trust and said we should talk to him. Best choice ever! Ramon explained every document in our estate plan, broke down all our choices, gave us great advice, and made everything super easy to understand. Honestly, the price was really reasonable too, especially considering the personal attention we got. Now we know about trusts, wills, and even the nomination of guardian for our little girl. 10/10 experience. We strongly recommend him for anyone looking for an estate planning lawyer!
Ramon was patient and so willing to help me with estate planning. Even though I’m not a California resident, Ramon talked me through the principles and important details that I would need to consider when working with legal counsel. If you want a compassionate and professional lawyer to walk with you through one of life’s biggest decisions, Ramon is your guy!
I had my estate plan done by a different attorney at first, and then redone by Ramon after some life changes. The experience was like night and day! Unlike the first estate planner, whom I'm sure churns out tons of these plans without much attention to any particular case, Ramon took the time to explain each component of the estate plan to me and make sure I understood everything. He also found errors and omissions in reviewing my prior plan, which just goes to show how much having an actual Certified Specialist in Estate Planning (which Ramon is) matters. I have a lot more confidence in the plan that he created, and I know it will protect my family when I pass. Finally, thinking about what happens after you pass is stressful, but Ramon was a calm, reassuring presence and made the entire process easy and stress-free. I highly, highly recommend Ramon Lamelas as your estate planner!
My husband and I asked our friends for recommendations for estate planning attorneys. We got three names and called them all about setting up a living trust. Out of the three that we consulted with, we were most impressed with Mr. Lamelas, especially as to the way he was able to explain each section of the trust to us, step-by-step. His knowledge, care and his ability to communicate to a lay-person is superb. He listened, and clearly answered every single question we had with utmost respect and explained in a way that was easy to understand. We highly recommend him to anyone looking to hire an attorney for any estate planning needs.
Ramon was wonderful to work with while helping my parents, who are 81 and 85, with their estate planning. He was not only knowledgeable and thorough, but also exceptionally patient, kind, and respectful throughout the process. He took the time to explain everything clearly and made sure my parents felt comfortable and understood.
As lawyers ourselves, we know it is not always easy having attorneys as clients, but that never seemed to faze Ramon. He handled everything with professionalism, warmth, and grace. We are very grateful for his guidance and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an estate attorney.
Ramon, was great! He helped wrap up a previous trust that I had not done properly for my family and I. He stayed on top of me to make sure it got done with my busy schedule!
I would very highly recommend Ramon to anyone looking to establish their estate planning. Ramon is very knowledgeable, friendly and courteous. Also very prompt in getting back to you. I am very appreciative of all his help. Thank you so very much.
We trusted Lamelas law with creating a family trust and he delivered ! All throughout he was patient with us and opened our eyes to key points in building a strong family trust. I would definitely recommend consulting with him prior to creating any trust.
I was recommended Ramon Lamelas by another attorney. He was extremely knowledgable, professional and compassionate in helping me work on redoing my Trust documents. I had a very stressful and personal issue that caused me to need to change my Trust. He was very understanding and answered all of my many questions, and I didn't feel judged. I felt that he has seen so many family situations and was very kind and objective in helping me. The work was done fairly quickly and I am grateful. I cannot express the peace and calmness I feel knowing my adult daughter is protected in our Trust. He was also helpful in recommending other professionals I need in regards to real estate and fiduciary services. I honestly feel so much better that everything is done correctly.
Ramon was greatly helpful with helping me navigate the probate process for my late father's estate. He was professional, knowledgeable and gave excellent advice to all my questions. His attention to detail and delivering a quality service is impeccable. Ramon is a trusted legal adviser to me and greatly recommend him.
At what would be a very vulnerable time in anyone’s life, Ramon took care of the execution and bifurcation of my trust that I shared with my husband. He explained the steps thoroughly and with sensitivity. The process, while it naturally took a while, was not as burdensome on me and my family because of Ramon.
Mr. Lamelas "walked" me through the difficult process of settlement of a probate estate. His input was very supportive and professional . I highly recommend him for help in similar matters.
Ramon walked us through a set of very complicated legal documents and made them clear and easy to understand. He was always very quick in his response times, completed all the complex work quickly, and made everything very easy for us. Would definitely work with him again!
Ramon provided excellent professional legal services the past nine months. He helped to solve problems with difficult financial institutions and successfully brought them to a positive result.
I am pleased and honored to have had Ramon work on my trust documents. His knowledge is encyclopedic and his manner is casual yet professional with no pressure whatsoever. He is always available when there is a question and I would not hesitate to recommend him to any friend or colleague. Ramon operates at the highest level of professionalism with skill and expertise that is nonpariel. I only wish I had met him earlier and initiated this process because it gives a tremendous sense of being put at ease with the worry being taken out of the future.
Ramon was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in guiding me through my estate planning process. He took the time to explain details and answer my questions. Ramon is ethical, kind and friendly. I would highly recommend his services.
Ramon was a great asset in getting our company set up. He is very thorough and efficient. He explained everything in detail so that we could understand and make the proper decisions. Would highly recommend him to other colleague, friends and family.
Mr. Lamelas has become a true trusted advisor and professional. We originally worked with him to create our Trust / Estate Plan, but soon turned to him for advice and assistance with an aging parent needing more and more support (including legal, financial and medical decisions) and parent and grandparent Trust assistance. Through it all, Mr. Lamelas has been thoughtful, considerate, thorough, and easy to understand and work with. He is the type of professional I'm glad to have found and to be able to recommend.
Ramon did amazing work helping with the administration of my family trust! He is very detailed and extremely responsive to any issues that may arise during the trust settlement process. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND him for any estate planning and trust legal needs.
Last year I was hit with the harsh reality of PROBATE! Often times we find ourselves in vulnerable situations not knowing where to go, or who to consult with. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lamelas initially over the phone. After meeting with him, I knew I had chosen the right individual that would cater to my needs and concerns throughout the legal process. From the beginning of my legal battles, he has been there every step of the way! Ramon was on top of paperwork, deadlines, phone calls, and followed up with me to make sure I was aware of the process, and the next steps. He’s very professional, informative, knowledgeable, reachable, and available! Knowing what I would would inevitably encounter as the case progressed, he recommended professionals in different fields that did not pertain to his expertise. I never felt pressured to utilize the resources, It definitely eased the stress of having to seek quality individuals in their respective fields on my own. Ramon does not lack patience or compassion. I truly appreciate his diligence and hard work! I pray I’m never in need of future Legal representation, but if you are, call Ramon! Thank you Mr. Lamelas
We hired Mr. Lamelas and his team to clear a cloudy title on one of our properties and they did a great job! Their services were quick and efficient not to mention well priced. We absolutely recommend Mr. Lamelas and would/will certainly use his services again!
Exelente abogado Su trabajo y sus explicaciones son excelentes y muy profesional. Yo lo recomiendo mucho a toda la gente que necesite un abogado
Where to start? It seemed that Ramon was committed to helping me in my role as Executor of an estate and felt that I had a reliable, caring partner throughout. I learned quickly that I could count on him to respond to my questions, always in an understandable manner. He kept me apprised of what was going on and what was ahead and presented very realistic expectations of the Probate process. I couldn't have done it without him! I highly recommend Ramon to anyone needing help in his specialty area.
I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Ramon Lamelas for several years on our trust and real estate needs. Througout the years, Ramon has been very cordial, knowledgable, understanding, patient, and kind. He has alway provided us with thoughtful advice and excellent results. I would recommend Ramon and his office to anyone.
It is a pleasure working with Ramon. His conduct is always very professional, and his responses are timely. He is trustworthy and knowledgeable. He never put any pressure on me in pursuit of money, consequently I feel he is a man of integrity.
Don Ramón me hizo un trabajo formidable. Mi plan patrimonial no podía ser mejor. Por mi parte, del 1 al 10, yo le doy un 10. Muchas gracias, Ramón. Espero que nos sigamos comunicando.
Ramon handled several estate planning matters for my family, and it is my pleasure to give him the highest endorsement. He is honest, professional, and most importantly, really worked to educate us on the legal issues. Both he and the other professionals at his firm provided the very best customer service and we were thrilled with the work product. Thank you again Ramon!
Ramon is the best attorney I’ve ever dealt with! He’s knowledgeable, honest, professional & courteous. When my aunt died without a Will, my sister and I hired him to help us with her probate. He prepared all the court papers, explained everything to us, and went to court so we wouldn’t have to. He was never in a rush and was wonderful to work with. I gave him 5 stars, but even that’s not enough. I recommend Ramon to everyone for anyone going through probate.
Ramon is was great at responding, He had the knowledge to answer all my questions and brought more than expected as far as possible solutions. Was sensitive to my concerns and efficient in his conclusions. I will continue to use his services in the future.
Ramon is very knowledgeable and thorough. He has a very professional manner and he explains the reasoning behind all recommendations.
Testimonials do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.
