The Ballard Law Corporation

Ballard Law: Focused on the Legal Aspects of Your Creation of Wealth and Preservation of Family Legacy

Supporting  entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and homeowners in creating and preserving personal or family wealth so they can have a life and an ongoing legacy.

Wealth Creation and Legacy Preservation, All California Virtually

Practice Areas

At The Ballard Law Corporation, we provide the following legal services.

Real Estate Transactions

Real estate traditionally has been an important part of creating wealth. Legal protection in real estate transactions is particularly important in a volatile market. Real estate transactions typically represent the largest transactions in most people’s lives. Real estate brokers and agents play an important role in marketing property; however, one usually should not rely solely upon them for drafting or reviewing contracts, escrow instructions or loan documents. We find that, most of the time, our review of even a smaller transaction saves the client more money than their legal fee. Clients throughout California turn to Ron Ballard for creatively structuring real estate deals.

Business Entities and Contracts

Attorneys are often called “counselor.” By emphasizing a transactional practice, without litigation services, the firm has an undivided interest in helping clients avoid litigation and truly act as “counsel” for its client’s creation and preservation of wealth. Selecting and properly creating the correct form of business entity, such as limited liability company or corporation, is key to the success or a business or investment. Moreover, subsequent contractual agreements must be entrepreneurial creative while reasonably conservative to protect wealth. We feel it is our privilege to serve you and place a premium on client service and communication.

Estate and Legacy Planning

“Estate planning” is simply creating your personal plan for your property and person in the event of your disability and after your death. Your home state has an estate plan for you and it isn't what you want. The need for estate planning is not limited to the very wealthy. Everyone needs some degree of estate planning, even young, single people with modest net worth. Every California business owner and homeowner estate plan should be trust-based to avoid probate and protect personal privacy. Couples who are getting married with significant assets or children from a prior relationship should establish their estate plan before the wedding so that personal expectations are clear and well-known. A single person without significant assets needs at least a power of attorney for assets and an advance health care directive. 



California Privacy Trusts

Deep data searching on the Internet has nearly made privacy a thing of the past. Nearly anyone can find the ownership of real estate or search by name to find the real estate you or your company own. The Ballard Law Corporation has created a specialized California Privacy Trust by having created Title Holding Services Corporation to serve as your title holding trustee. LLCs and corporations deserve privacy, just the same as people do. If you or your company is ever sued, one of the first things a plaintiff's attorney will do is to search for assets to consider how much they might be able to recover if they win in litigation. A plaintiff doesn't even need to win. Often, they will fight hard for a losing case just to force a settlement due to the high costs of defending litigation. If the plaintiff's attorney doesn't know how and if they would recover a judgment, they will usually be less aggressive and maybe not even agree to file the lawsuit on contingency. Privacy protection is especially valuable for all kinds of business owners and professionals, such as physicians, contractors, architects, real estate developers, lawyers, manufacturers and any high-risk business or high-wealth person. By creating Title Holding Services Corporation as a nonprofit, mutual benefit corporation, these services are available for less than you might expect.

Asset Protection Planning

Asset Protection Planning is the core to preserving your hard earned wealth and protecting it for your lifetime and future generations. Our focus is on protection from lawsuits and transfer taxes, such as estate and gift taxes. Insurance is the first line of defense before we even start evaluating entities, layering, equity reduction and privacy. However, there are many risks that aren't insurable, including breach of contract and allegations of fraud or malpresentation. Often, the risk is greater than the insurance coverage. For example, a young person might have a disabling injury on your property and suffer lifetime damages over $5 million when you have $2 million of coverage. The insurance company might tender the policy limit and you are left with $3 million of exposure. You need to be protected for the excess. Don't get fooled by those who say a land trust or other form of revocable trust provides "asset protection." A revocable trust can provide "creditor deflection" by not connecting the asset with you in public records, like we do with our California Privacy Trust. However, if you see "revocable," the trust can be pierced. Limited liability companies, corporations and irrevocable trusts can shield the owner(s) from personal liability when properly formed and maintained. There are many facets of asset protection planning and they need to be tailored to each individual situation.

Creative Real Estate Deals

Did you go to a seminar or buy an online course about how to participate in creative real estate transactions that few people know about or understand how to do in California? Many of these trainers don't understand how California law and real estate procedures are different than their own state and provide sample forms or tactics that won't work in California, at least as provided. Most out-of-state strategies can work in California, but need to be adjusted and documented differently. A responsible trainer will tell you to get advice from a real estate attorney in your state. However, most real estate attorneys don't know the "creative real estate" strategy being taught and how to make it work in California. Ron Ballard is often sought out by the out-of-state trainers to customize their course and documents for California. Whether the tactic is how to buy with nothing down, how to fix-and-flip, how to use lease options, novations, seller-financing, purchasing or selling subject-to existing financing, proper use of land trusts, short sale flipping, investing through a self-directed IRA or solo 401k account, master leasing for short-term rentals or other tactics, joint venture rehabs with the property owner, purchase and sale of promissory notes, or any of the myriad of tactics being taught online and in live seminars. Some of the tactics are illegal in California the way they are implemented out-of-state. Therefore, check with The Ballard Law Corporation before venturing into the world of creative real estate transactions.

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Wealth Creation and Legacy Preservation Lawyer

About The Ballard Law Corporation

The Ballard Law Corporation serves virtually all of California through virtual services, as well as live, personal services from our office near the Temecula Valley Wine Country in Riverside County. Our focus is on accomplishing our clients' goals, rather than unnecessarily hindering transactions. We are deal-makers, not deal-killers, emphasizing transactional legal services in the areas of real estate, business/corporate law, estate planning, and asset protection.

Wealth Creation and Legacy Preservation Legal Team

Meet the team

The Ballard Law Corporation's roots go back to August 1985 when Ronald Ballard left law office employment to open his own practice.

Ronald Ballard

Ronald Ballard

Lawyer and Founder

Ronald M. Ballard received his law degree from UCLA and was admitted to practice in California in 1983. Having graduated cum laude from Claremont McKenna College in 1980 with a dual major in political science and economics, Mr. Ballard has a unique perspective on people and business. He provides specialized services for business owners, executives and professionals in creating and preserving wealth.

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Location

43460 Ridge Park Dr Office 200v
Temecula, CA 92590-3600

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