Our Team

Attorney Kelly Balamuth’s estate planning practice focuses on helping families enhance their lives today and secure their futures  tomorrow.  She excels in guiding her clients through the often confusing maze of financial and legal decisions to create plans that ensure the well-being of their families and the accomplishment of cherished family goals. Her focus includes family protection, wealth preservation, and values-based planning, as well as planning strategies for unmarried couples and divorced individuals. Whether you are married or single, with a traditional family or blended one, just starting out or looking back on a life well-lived, Kelly will help you to craft a plan that achieves your goals for your loved ones today and for years to come.

Kelly graduated from U.C. Davis School of Law and joined her father’s practice in Orinda the same year, eventually taking over the practice and continuing to serve our local community.  She has been named a Super Lawyer every year for over a decade and one of the top 50 women attorneys in Northern California by Super Lawyers for multiple years. Avvo.com has rated her a superb attorney with a 10/10 rating.  She is a member of the Wealth Counsel, a national organization of trusts and estates attorneys and other legal, tax and business professionals, who design sophisticated planning techniques for individuals and families.

Kelly has chosen to concentrate on the Trusts and Estates area because she is passionate about helping families create happy and secure futures.  Most importantly, Kelly is the proud mother of Grady, Piper, and Truitt, step-mother of Marley, and grandmother of Charity.

Cathy Schaefer is our Client Services Director. She runs the front office operations and is delighted to assist our clients, helping them through the process of starting or updating their estate plans. Cathy comes to us after years of managing a boutique software development company, and often uses those skills to help clients navigate our intake system. However, she also understands that sometimes pen and paper is the best way to communicate!

Cathy holds a B.A. in English Literature from California State University East Bay as well as a Notary Public Commission with the State of California. When she’s not working, Cathy is an avid hiker and biker, always looking for new trails to explore in the Bay Area. 

Dustie Robeson is our jack-of-all-trades, back office guru. With a background that includes financial services, technology, and a 14-year career as a professional organizer for homes and small businesses, she keeps things humming behind the scenes.

Dustie is also the founder of Springbook Partners (www.myspringbook.com), a fantastic resource for clients looking to round out their estate plan with important information for their heirs and powers of attorney.

When she isn’t working to prepare people for what comes next, you can find her cooking, writing, reading, and cheering for Campolindo, St. Mary’s, and Warriors basketball. Dustie holds a B.A. in Economics from UC, Santa Barbara and an M.A., in English from San Francisco State.

Raphael Angeles is our Legal Assistant, he  keeps us all organized and on task. With his Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from San Francisco State, he integrates his  educational training with a convivial spirit, which lightens up the atmosphere of the office. This is the perfect formula to help us uphold our best practices and create a warm environment for clients and colleagues alike. 

A Bay Area native, Raphael grew up in South San Francisco. He loves spending time with his family, and is a whiz on his electric unicycle.