About Herb Chavers

I truly enjoy helping people plan for and journey through the later seasons of life. While I enjoy a good attorney joke (and there are lots of them rightfully earned by the profession), I consider it a true honor and privilege to get to know and serve so many good people during my 30 + years of practice.

When people ask me what type of law I practice, I say, “Happy Law”. To me, a great day at the office is hearing my clients’ stories (especially the funny ones) and sharing mine. My primary method of simplifying the complex is through stories (many of which are quite humorous) and illustrations (my arts and crafts time). The truth is that “getting old ain’t for wimps,” and so many of my clients have or will experience serious health challenges as part of the aging process and eventually the loss of a loved one, be it a parent, spouse, or child. Such seasons are not happy or fun, but extremely stressful, bewildering, discouraging, exhausting and tearful. Many of my clients have exemplified what the covenant “in sickness and in health, till death us do part” truly means. So by Happy Law, I do not mean that I serve only people who are joking and laughing day in and day out, but rather I serve people who I enjoy spending time with and they with me, during the good seasons and even during the more difficult seasons. To me, Happy Law is all about people, so I consider myself blessed to serve so many incredible good people as we journey through these later seasons together.

Having undergone brain surgery years ago and several eye surgeries recently, I firmly understand and appreciate how critical professional skills and experience are. But, I also understand and appreciate how critical ongoing care in a friendly, compassionate and caring manner is.

While I am an Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialist* and an attorney accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs**, I believe what really separates my firm and team members from other firms is our signature approach that goes well beyond the mere preparation of cookie-cutter documents. We are people-driven verses document-driven. While we do use various legal documents to ensure our clients have comprehensive plans in place designed to meet their needs and address their concerns, those extensive documents are part of our service, not the end all.

*Certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
**Accredited for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for Veterans benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs

Now, for the standard credential stuff:

Herb strives to wear a tie at least twice a week so people think he is a legitimate attorney, but also because he still likes a nice tie.

Herb earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from California Baptist College in 1981 and 1982. He graduated from Western State University College of Law in December 1988, and was admitted to practice by the California State Bar in June 1989. He was certified as an Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialist by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization in 2008 and accredited for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for Veterans benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2013.

Herb is currently a member of the Riverside County Bar Association (Chairperson for the Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Lawyers Section, 1999/2000, 2000/2001 and 2006/2007), and the California Association of Nursing Home Reform. He is presently a member of WealthCounsel, a national membership organization that supports estate planning attorneys in their practices. He is also a member of ElderCounsel, a national membership organization that supports elder law, special needs planning and veteran benefit planning attorneys in their practices. He was a member of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys for six years, and the Riverside Estate Planning Council for numerous years, the Professional Advisors Council of the Community Foundation serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, UCR’s Planned Giving Advisory Board, and was a charter member of Inland Empire Planned Giving Roundtable and was an associate member of the Inland Empire Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for 8 years.