
I’m into urban gardening. We live in a Midtown house with no yard, so I enjoy making attempts at growing flowers in pots and boxes, but I also work a community garden plot in Oak Park. I’m a big believer in urban redevelopment, and I see this as my small contribution to making urban Sacramento a vibrant community. Being new to gardening, some attempts are more successful than others. The most successful things so far have been geraniums and root vegetables, because they can survive on minimal water and don’t fry in the Sacramento sun.
Practices
- Estate Planning; Probate; and Trust Administration
- Tax
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D, 2011
- American University, B.A., Law and Society, 2008
Bar Admissions
- California
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law,
the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization - District of Columbia
- Maryland
Delivering for Clients
“My practice focuses on estate planning and estate and gift tax planning for moderate to high net worth individuals. I work from the planning stage to trust administration, and I focus on comprehensive estate, tax, and business succession planning.”
Detailed Practice Description
Kate Willcox’s practice focuses on both foundational and complex estate and gift planning, including tax planning, as well as post-death trust administration. Her estate planning background includes working with blended families and same-sex couples. She also has experience working with clients to set up irrevocable trusts, including grantor trusts, ILITs, GRATs, QPRTs and charitable trusts. Her business succession planning practice includes structuring plans to efficiently and effectively transfer family businesses to the next generation, as well as “estate freeze” transactions to minimize the tax burden of doing so.
What I really like about being an estate planning attorney is working closely with individuals and families. Our clients have worked their entire lives to build a legacy for their children, and I find that inspiring. I like that I can be a part of working with families to pass that legacy on, and I am able to be there at a tough time for their children to help make it easier.
Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Trusts and Estates, 2021
- Northern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Estate Planning and Probate, 2014 – 2020
- Sacramento Magazine Top Lawyer, 2015 – 2016, 2019-2020
- Georgetown University, graduated cum laude
- American University: graduated summa cum laude, University Honors Program, Phi Beta Kappa
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Member, Sacramento Estate Planning Council
- Member, Philanthropic Advisors’ Forum of Greater Sacramento
- Member, Sacramento County Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association Real Property, Trusts and Estates Section
Community
- Board Member, Capital Stage Theatre Company
- Prior Board Member, Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center