A San Diego Attorney Who Handles Your Estate Plan Personally — Start to Finish

I've been a licensed California attorney since 2009, and in 2012 I opened my own practice in Point Loma with a straightforward conviction: estate planning is too important to be handed off to a paralegal or passed between attorneys. When you hire me, you work with me — through every conversation, every document, and every question that comes up after the plan is signed.



That commitment hasn't changed in over 14 years of running this practice — nearly two decades of experience with California estate law altogether.

What I Practice — and Why the Combination Matters

My practice covers three areas: estate planning, probate, and property tax law, including California Proposition 19 and the parent-child exclusion. Most attorneys choose one. I practice all three because they are deeply connected.

A well-drafted living trust doesn't just keep your estate out of probate — it can preserve your family's low property tax base when a home passes to the next generation. A probate that gets handled correctly can protect beneficiaries from reassessment they never anticipated. These aren't separate problems. They're the same family, at different stages of the same plan.

Combining estate planning and property tax counsel under one roof is rare in San Diego. It means you don't have to hire two attorneys, coordinate between them, or hope they're reading from the same page.

A San Diego Attorney Who Handles Your Estate Plan Personally

I'm Ross Pettit, and I've spent my career on one belief: estate planning is too important to be handed off to a paralegal or passed between attorneys. When a family sits down with me, they're not meeting the person who "runs the firm" — they're meeting the person who will actually draft their trust, explain their options, and answer the phone five years later when something changes.

That's not a marketing line. It's just how a solo practice works, and it's why I built mine this way.

I've been licensed by the California State Bar since 2009, practicing in trusts and estates, probate, and property tax law for over 15 years.

I opened my office in Point Loma because it's a community I'm genuinely part of, not just where I hang a shingle. I live in Ocean Beach with my wife and our two daughters, a few minutes from the office, and I've watched this stretch of San Diego change over the better part of two decades. I understand the particular planning challenges that come with coastal real estate, multigenerational homeownership, and the property tax stakes that follow when a family home passes to the next generation — because I live inside those same dynamics myself.

I'm also an officer with the Point Loma Optimist Club, which supports local youth programs, and when I'm not in the office you'll usually find me sailing or on the mat training Jiu Jitsu.

My practice covers three areas other attorneys keep separate: estate planning, probate, and California property tax law, including Prop 19. I don't see them as separate problems — they're the same family, at different stages of the same plan. A trust drafted correctly today can protect the low property tax base your family fought to keep tomorrow. That's the kind of thinking I bring to every engagement.

Background and Credentials

California State Bar Number: 262218

Licensed: 2009

Years in Practice: 17+

Office: 3667 Voltaire Street, San Diego, CA 92106 (Point Loma)

Phone: (619) 994-1215

I earned my law degree and built my practice in San Diego. Point Loma is not a satellite office — it is where I work, where I live, and where I have been embedded in the community for over a decade. My clients include families from Point Loma, La Jolla, Coronado, Mission Hills, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and Chula Vista.

My practice areas reflect what San Diego families actually need: plans that account for California's community property rules, the state's probate thresholds, and the property tax consequences of transferring real estate — particularly under Prop 19.

How I Work With Clients

Every engagement starts with a free, no-obligation consultation. I use that time to understand your situation — your assets, your family structure, your concerns — before I recommend anything.

Once we begin, I handle your matter personally. There are no associates assigned to your file, no handoffs mid-project, and no surprises about who you'll be speaking with. If you call or email, you reach me.

After your plan is complete, I offer existing clients an annual no-charge check-in. Estate plans aren't static — tax law changes, Prop 19 thresholds adjust, family circumstances shift. The check-in is how I make sure your plan still reflects your intentions.

Why Clients in Point Loma Choose a Solo Practitioner

Larger firms have depth. What they often lack is continuity — the same attorney who drafted your trust may not be available when your family needs to use it.

As a solo practitioner, I am the firm. That means the attorney who knows your plan is the same attorney your family will call when something happens. For estate planning especially, that continuity matters.

I also believe in being direct about cost. I don't quote vague ranges or bury fees in fine print. After your consultation, you'll have a clear picture of what your plan will cost and what it includes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Working With Rosser Pettit