Estate Planning—Attorneys*

John M. Goralka is the founder of the Goralka Law Firm. He practices exclusively in the areas of trusts, estate planning, Medi-Cal asset protection, business, and tax law. Mr. Goralka was selected as a 2014 recipient of the Five Star Professional Award as one of the top estate planning attorneys in California.

Mr. Goralka is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law with the California State Bar Association. He is also a certified specialist in taxation with the California State Bar Association. To become a certified specialist, a specialized bar examination must be passed and a high level of expertise must be demonstrated with favorable evaluations from judges and attorneys familiar with the specialist’s work. Mr. Goralka is the only attorney in Sacramento County with a specialization in both taxation and estate planning trusts and probate.

Mr. Goralka earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and successfully completed the California Certified Public Accountant examination. He was previously an income tax auditor and hearing officer with the California Franchise Tax Board, and received his Juris Doctor (with distinction) and his LL.M. degree in taxation from the McGeorge School of Law. Mr. Goralka is a member of the Business, Taxation, Estate Planning, and Probate Sections of the Sacramento County Bar Association, the Order of the Coif, and is the Education Chair for the Sacramento Estate Planning Council.

Mr. Goralka has more than 25 years of specialized experience in estate planning and has successfully established thousands of estate plans. He has also handled the administration of hundreds of estates and trusts of his clients after their deaths. Mr. Goralka uses the knowledge gained from his unique level of experience in the customized design of each client’s living trust estate plan.

Gina B. Leguria, Attorney at Law, focuses her legal practice on estate planning, probate, veteran’s benefit planning, Medi-Cal planning, and elder law. She is dedicated to protecting families from the devastating legal effects of disability and death. Through proper planning, individuals and families can avoid unnecessary court proceedings, protect their assets, continue their legacies through strategic charitable giving, and provide for the security of loved ones.

Along with her estate planning practice, Ms. Leguria’s experience includes working as a senior advisor to the Stanislaus County Sheriff with the California State Sheriff’s Association legislative team at the State Capitol (Sacramento) and working in higher education with both the University of California and California State University systems.

Additionally, Ms. Leguria does volunteer work for the Diabetes Youth Families organization, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and her local church.

Ms. Leguria graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Agricultural Business Management. She has a Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, and was awarded a Juris Doctorate from University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Ms. Leguria learned firsthand the effects of failing to plan when her rancher father was killed in a vehicle accident without any planning documents in place requiring her to probate her father’s extensive estate, including business and cattle operations. As a result she became determined to help others avoid the added devastation of an often complicated and expensive legal process.

Ms. Leguria combines a background in public service with a wide range of legal and personal experience to provide clients with a uniquely practical perspective. She is committed to providing her clients with excellence in estate planning..

Richard W. McGinnis is a California attorney with more than 30 years of experience in estate planning and elder law. His professional goal is to provide clients with comprehensive legal advice and prepare estate planning documents which preserve assets, minimize taxes, and provide a legacy for future generations.

Mr. McGinnis’ law practice focuses exclusively on estate and elder law issues, including the preparation and administration of wills, revocable living trusts, and irrevocable trusts, as well as probate court administration and access to Medi-Cal benefits. As an accredited Veterans Administration attorney, Mr. McGinnis is able to assist veterans and their surviving spouses with educational resources and planning options for access to non-service-connected disability pension benefits.

Mr. McGinnis is the Senior Professor of Business Law at Sierra College and coauthor of Practical Business Law. He is a Toastmasters International award-winning speaker who has conducted hundreds of estate planning classes and seminars for businesses and educational institutions, including Golden 1 Credit Union, MTI Western Business College, Sacramento City College, California Paralegal College, and The Learning Exchange. He has been a featured presenter on Community Access Television and has been quoted as an estate planning expert in The Sacramento Bee.

Mr. McGinnis is an active volunteer with the Voluntary Legal Services Program, which provides pro bono legal services to low-income clients and seniors through Legal Services of Northern California.

Mr. McGinnis is a 1983 graduate of the School of Law of the University of San Francisco and a member of the California State Bar Wills and Trusts Section, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Timothy P. Murphy is an estate planning and elder law attorney whose practice emphasizes helping people build, preserve, and pass on their wealth. He works with clients to accomplish their goals while avoiding unnecessary court proceedings and minimizing or eliminating death taxes. He also assists clients with long- term care planning, including Medi-Cal and Veterans Affairs benefits. Mr. Murphy has practiced law in the Sacramento area for more than 30 years.

He has written a regular column on legal issues for Senior Magazine and has been a regular featured guest on the Money Experts radio program broadcast on KFBK (AM 1530) in Sacramento.

Mr. Murphy has been awarded the top AV rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (www.martindale.com), the legal profession's oldest and pre-eminent rating service for attorneys and law firms.

He is active in numerous professional activities, including serving as a pro-tem judge and arbitrator for Sacramento courts. He also is a regular presenter at continuing education programs for attorneys and financial advisers.

Mr. Murphy is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the premier organization of attorneys assisting clients with issues relating to aging and long-term care. He has also been a member of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys—an exclusive member organization.

In addition, he has served on the Governing Board of the Area 4 Agency on Aging, which funds more than $8 million to local senior programs, and was a Member and former Chair of the Yolo County Commission on Aging.

Mr. Murphy graduated magna cum laude with distinction from the University of Colorado and earned his law degree at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he served as Managing Editor on the Law Review. He was elected into Phi Beta Kappa, the National Honor Society.