Aging is as enriching as it is transformative. It brings new opportunities, evolving priorities, and a deeper appreciation for the moments that matter most.
In today’s ever-changing world, staying informed and engaged is essential to living life to the fullest. From health and finances to travel and community connections, each aspect plays a role in shaping a vibrant and fulfilling senior lifestyle.
Noozhawk’s Senior Life: Living Well and Aging Wisely section is dedicated to celebrating this stage of life and providing valuable resources to help our readers navigate it with confidence. Our goal is to equip older adults and their families with insightful information, expert advice, and inspiring stories that enhance their daily lives.
Through interviews with local professionals, in-depth features, and expert contributions, Noozhawk delivers practical guidance on living well, staying active, aging wisely and making informed choices.
We believe that by sharing knowledge and experiences, we empower our readers to embrace this chapter with purpose and joy.
In this interview Noozhawk spoke with Courtney DeSoto, Owner of Channel Islands Fiduciary Group to learn more about how her business supports seniors in the community.
Channel Islands Fiduciary Group
Question: What year was your business established?
Answer: 2014.
Q: What inspired you to start your business, and how does it cater to the needs of the 55+ community?
A: As a private, professional fiduciary (PPF), I serve in the capacity of successor trustee or executor. For elders with impaired cognitive abilities, I can also serve as someone’s agent under a power or attorney or am appointed by the Court in conservatorship and probate matters. I decided to become a professional fiduciary after completing law school and while working for the Superior Court as a Court Investigator. I quickly became drawn to this field of law and wanted to do more in advocating for local seniors so I left the Court and started Channel Islands Fiduciary Group in 2014. (PPFs are licensed/monitored by the State, insured and bonded.)
Q: What unique products or services do you offer that help seniors live well and age wisely?
A: By acting as someone’s conservator, trustee or agent on a power of attorney for example, my office works directly with the senior to manage their finances, pay bills, manage health care appointments, facilitate tax return completion, liquidate assets, manage or sell real property, collaborate with other professionals engaged in the senior’s life (Physicians, Wealth Advisor, CPA, family etc), all in an effort to provide support but also encourage as much independence and autonomy as possible.
Q: Can you share a success story or testimonial from a senior who benefited from your services?
A: A husband and wife in Goleta were both failing cognitively and physically; they had no children and no living relatives. Neither had an estate plan but they owned their home outright, were employing in-home 24 hour care and paying the caregivers under the table.
After working with them, financial accounts were organized and monitored, bills were paid timely, benefits were applied for, caregivers were properly employed, estate planning documents were drafted to protect their assets from probate and their wishes were documented in writing. This enabled the couple to remain in their home longer than anticipated.
When one of them passed, a collective decision was made to move the remaining spouse into a small board and care where they could receive the level of care they needed while being mindful of the cost. The residence was eventually cleared out and sold thus providing additional assets to pay for their continued care.
Q: What advice do you have for seniors looking to improve their quality of life or achieve their goals?
A: Seniors might consider seeking out ways to manage the anxiety (e.g. peer counseling, therapy, support groups, relaxation practices, etc.) associated with letting go and allowing an appropriate person like a PPF manage the stresses and strains of day-to-day tasks, thereby allowing them to focus their time and energy on the things that are most meaningful and fulfilling to them (e.g. family, hobbies, interests, staying as healthy and well as possible, etc.). It’s also worth considering hiring someone to help them declutter when they are still mentally and physically able.
Q: Are there specific programs, events, or offers you’d like our readers to know about?
A: ‘Get It Done SB’ is an initiative in South Santa Barbara County started by Hospice of Santa Barbara that offers free workshops and one-on-one help to complete advance care directives. These directives are legal documents that outline your medical care preferences if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Everyone over age 18 needs an Advanced Health Care Directive. 805.563.8820.
Q: How can readers learn more about your business or get started with your services?
A: Call the office Mon-Thurs, 9-5 or Friday 9-12 at 805-804-3131, or email at courtney@cifiduciarygroup.com. The initial meeting is always free. You can also visit the website at: www.cifiduciarygroup.com.
Q: What legal documents or plans should seniors prioritize to ensure their wishes are honored?
A: There are 4 major documents, each address differently titled assets and apply either during life or post-death: Power of Attorney for Finances and Health (or an Advance Health Care Directive) apply to assets in the person’s name as an individual and health care decisions when they are unable to make their own. A will addresses assets in an individual’s name post-death and must be probated while a trust can come into play either due to incapacity or death and will enable an estate to avoid probate.
Q: How does your firm support seniors in navigating complex legal issues like estate planning or elder law?
A: To the extent able, we always discuss the legal matters directly with the senior in a respectful way knowing our sole purpose is to carry out their wishes. The more we know about our client and their preferences, the better we can do our job someday so we encourage open dialogue about all subjects.
Q: Are there any recent changes in laws or regulations that seniors should be aware of?
A: California is set to implement a significant change to its probate laws (AB 2016). Starting April 1, 2025, the value threshold will increase and make it easier to transfer property assets for estates with primary residences valued up to $750,000. This adjustment will allow more estates to bypass full probate proceedings, potentially saving time and money for beneficiaries.
Q: How does your business help seniors and their families prepare for end-of-life planning?
A: By supporting and assisting seniors in documenting their wishes, we help the seniors achieve peace of mind knowing they’ve expressed their choices in writing. By working with a PPF they ensure an experienced neutral third party will honor those wishes and do so correctly with transparency and knowledge of the law.
Q: What advice do you have for families looking to have open conversations about end-of-life wishes?
A: When it comes to the Health Care Directive, YES! As to the financially-centered documents…not all families are good with communication and many have unresolved issues that can result in distrust and contention within them. Blended families also present a unique dynamic sometimes enflamed by the estate plan discussion. You know your own family best. If sharing specific details with your family would cause additional friction or stress, you’re not obligated to. On the other hand, maintaining a healthy and open dialogue with those closest to you may help avoid hurt or confusion later.
Click here to learn more about Channel Islands Fiduciary Group.