About Us

The Right Law Firm For Your Family’s Legal Needs

At The Soto Law Group, we handle estate planning, probate and trust administration matters for clients throughout Southern California. We provide tailor-made legal solutions that protect the assets and the wishes of our clients.

We are not a high-volume practice. We take the time to provide a customized approach that suits the needs of each client.

We have the experience to make a difference. We provide the personal, attentive service that lets you know how important your business is to us.

What Sets Us Apart?

Choosing the right law firm is an important decision. Here are a few reasons clients have chosen us and why generations of clients come back to us:

Flat fee billing: All of our fees are fixed fees agreed to in advance, so there are no surprises. At our initial meeting you will choose the level of planning and fee that works best for your family.

Communication: We keep you informed and make sure your plan works. We don’t just prepare a set of legal documents for you and send you on your way. We make sure your assets are owned in the right way, we make sure your kids’ well-being is properly planned for, we ensure everyone you’ve named in your plan knows what to do if anything happens to you.

Follow through: We review your plan at least every three years and annually through our Family Wealth VIP Membership program. We foster a lifetime, ongoing relationship with our clients. Throughout your life, things change. You change; your assets change; your family changes; the law will definitely change.

Practical advice: We help you get your legal and financial house in order by helping you make smart choices about things like buying insurance, saving for college and retirement planning so you never spend more than you have to or get taken advantage of by unscrupulous sales people.

Legacy planning: We believe that planning is about much more than just the transfer of your financial wealth. With all of our plans, we include a process to help you transfer your most important personal wealth to your loved ones, including your intellectual, spiritual and human assets — who you are and what’s important to you.

We have a whole team in place to answer your quick questions and to make the planning process incredibly easy and painless for you and your family. We have a process for helping you make sure that your assets are titled in the right way, both now and over your lifetime!

Your Attorney: R. DeDe Soto, Esq.

Top Probate Lawyer in Orange

What DeDe’s

Clients Say

DeDe Soto helped us create a family trust. She thoroughly explained all of the options and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Once we decided which option, DeDe and her team walked us through the entire process, giving us checklists to ensure that we covered all bases. They were all readily available to answer questions and provide additional information. Our meetings were informative, on point and adhered to the appointed time and duration. I highly recommend the Soto Law Firm for your estate planning needs

Karen and Tom

Meet Attorney R. DeDe Soto

With more than 20 years of legal experience, R. DeDe Soto is prepared to provide you with the knowledgeable advice and skilled representation you need. With a real estate and business background, DeDe is prepared to handle complex, high-asset matters such as real estate transfers and business successions.We invite you to learn more about DeDe by following the link to her attorney profile below.

Thank you for visiting my website, and I look forward to meeting you. In case you are wondering about the “R” it stands for “Romelia,” which was my grandmother’s name. While some find it hard to believe, I am Cuban/American. My dad immigrated from Cuba, and my mom is from the mid-west and a bit of German/Irish. So, DeDe, which most people know me by, is my nickname! So now a bit about my background.

I established the Soto Law Group so I could dedicate myself to the needs of growing families and business owners. I have a broad background of legal experience. From early on where I started practicing in family law and business litigation, and later when I developed an extensive real estate expertise. This expertise has crossed over to include all areas of estate planning, trust administration, probate and contested conservatorships.

Over ten years ago, I started my estate planning practice only on a referral basis, for family and friends. Since launching The Soto Law Group, I have incorporated my business knowledge and real estate expertise with my passion for coaching and teaching to make a difference in the lives of those I touch and bring invaluable services to my clients.

I had always believed that traditional estate planning, which implies, and often focuses only on, financial wealth and taxation was too limited and short-sighted. I believe it’s not only about passing on financial wealth, but also intellectual, spiritual and human wealth. With the establishment of my own firm, I can provide a framework for a more holistic approach to family wealth planning. “We can actually pass on the clients’ stories, insights and wisdom to their children, grandchildren and other loved ones so that they don’t get lost when the clients pass away.” Through the Child Protection Plan, clients can rest assure, knowing that if something unexpected or unthinkable happens to mom and dad, the kids won’t have to spend time in Child Protective Services/foster care until their permanent guardians can arrive on the scene. Additionally, I can protect the children’s inheritance from later creditors and predators.

On a personal note, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, volunteering at my church and playing golf. I am dedicated to assisting and protecting families at all ages and stages in life.

I have an undergraduate degree from California State University, Fullerton, with a major in Psychology and my Juris Doctor from Western State University School of Law. I have done continuing education at Chapman Law School and U.C. Irvine.

Education

Western State University College of Law, Fullerton, California
Juris Doctor
Chapman University School of Law, Orange, California
California State University, Fullerton
Major: Psychology
U.C. Irvine