John Michael Goralka

At The Goralka Law Firm, we think outside the box. Our founder, John Goralka, started the firm in 1996 as a single father with two young children—an experience that has given him a deep understanding of the creativity, hard work, and sacrifice necessary to turn dreams into reality.

Today, our extensive knowledge of Business, Tax, and Estate Planning matters provides us with the ability to deliver unique solutions to our clients' needs instead of relying on a quick Band-Aid fix that will eventually cause more problems than it solves. Here's a small sample of some of the successes we've achieved for our clients:

Implemented a tax savings plan for a lottery winner with a $2,500,000 investment, providing income tax deductions of over $1,700,000, a tax savings of nearly $900,000, income for life (with investment control on $1,500,000), and a remainder of over $1,100,000 income tax-free in 10 years (with investment control during the 10-year period).

Reinstated an inherited IRA as a tax-deferred retirement account after the client inadvertently transferred the securities from a qualified account to a non-qualified taxable account. The reinstatement was completed more than two (2) years after the withdrawal. As a result, we successfully appealed the assessment of additional Federal and California Income Tax of over $450,000.

Successfully administered over 1,000 trusts for clients that passed away.

Expertly designed and implemented over 2,500 estate plans avoiding probate; continuing core family values and goals; better protecting the clients’ children and loved ones from divorce, lawsuits, and creditor claims; and minimizing income and estate tax.

Established an asset protection plan for the owner of a number of restaurants in the Los Angeles area protecting personal assets and investment from a claim of over $1,000,000 related to one (1) restaurant.

Successfully negotiated an “as is” stock sale of a combined group of construction companies for approximately $12,000,000.

Established a Medi-Cal Asset Protection Trust for a client to protect an apartment complex worth over $1,000,000.

In a multi-state tax appeal with the California Franchise Tax Board, we successfully resolved the appeal and received a judgment against the Franchise Tax Board for our fees. 

Created a Premarital Agreement, Financial Confidentiality Agreement, and Separate Property Asset Protection Trust for the son of third-generation family business owners. Years later, while the son was a resident of Texas, the Premarital Agreement was challenged in court. After a full trial, the Premarital Agreement was fully respected, and all the family business assets were protected. The judge, in his ruling, complimented our client on the thoroughness, and specificity of the Premarital Agreement and the related legal instruments.

None of us can predict what the future will hold, but our firm will provide the support you need to make informed decisions about the best way to reach your goals. Whether you're seeking to lower taxes on lottery winnings, create a trust to leave a lasting legacy for your loved ones, or expand a family-owned business, we can help. Contact us today to get started.