A.J. Battaglia
Estate planning and special needs trust attorney in Scripps Ranch, helping San Diego families put the home into a trust, protect what they own, and plan for a loved one with a disability without losing public benefits.
- California State Bar #317938, active since 2017
- Serving San Diego County
The question I get most often after closing is some version of: should this house be in a trust? The answer is almost always yes, and A.J. is who I send people to for it. He explains the options in plain English, he gets the deed retitled correctly so the trust actually works, and he is not going to oversell a family a plan they do not need. If someone in your family has a disability, he is also the person to call before you set anything up, because the wrong plan can cost a loved one their benefits. No fees or referral money change hands between us in either direction.
About A.J.
A.J. Battaglia is a partner at Battaglia & DeKoning, a San Diego firm focused on estate planning, special needs trusts, public benefits planning, trust administration, probate and conservatorships. He works with families to build plans that protect the home and the people in it, and he is known in particular for special needs planning: structuring trusts so a child or family member with a disability keeps their independence and their eligibility for benefits like SSI and Medi-Cal. He is a frequent speaker for statewide and local organizations on estate planning and public benefits, and he earned the Wiley W. Manuel Award for his pro bono work through the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program.
A.J. earned his law degree at California Western School of Law after graduating from the University of San Diego, and he was admitted to the California State Bar in 2017. He is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, Probate Attorneys of San Diego and the Professional Fiduciaries Association of California. Away from the office he bikes, plays tennis, and spends time with his wife Alexa and their dog Canyon.
Territories
Where A.J. works most, and knows best.
What A.J. Battaglia does
Living trusts, titling your home, and protecting what you just bought.
Living trusts and estate plans
A revocable living trust, will, powers of attorney and health care directive, built for the family you actually have, so your home passes without probate.
Putting your home in the trust
Retitling the house you just bought (or already own) into the trust and keeping it there, the step that gets skipped most often and matters most.
Special needs trusts
Plans for a child or family member with a disability that provide for their future while protecting SSI, Medi-Cal and other public benefits.
Public benefits planning
Guidance on how an inheritance, a settlement or a gift interacts with government benefits, before the money moves.
Trust administration and probate
Help for a trustee or family after a death: notices, accounting, selling or transferring the home, and closing the estate.
Conservatorships
Court-supervised arrangements for an adult who can no longer manage their own affairs, and the alternatives that may avoid court entirely.
- Partner at Battaglia & DeKoning, San Diego
- California State Bar #317938, active since 2017, no disciplinary history on record
- J.D., California Western School of Law; B.A., University of San Diego
- Wiley W. Manuel Award for pro bono service, San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program
- Member, San Diego County Bar Association, Probate Attorneys of San Diego and Professional Fiduciaries Association of California
- Frequent speaker on estate planning and public benefits for statewide and local organizations
- Office in Scripps Ranch, just off Interstate 15
Want an intro to A.J.?
Tell me a little about what you have in mind and I will connect you with A.J. personally, usually the same day. You can also reach A.J. directly at (858) 689-0613 or aj@bdlawsd.com; mentioning Take The Rate helps them know where you came from.
Service area
Scripps Ranch office just off Interstate 15, serving families across San Diego County, from North County and Poway to the city, East County and South Bay, with video meetings available for clients anywhere in California.
Office
9903 Businesspark Ave, Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92131
Open in Google Maps · bdlawsd.com
Partner details last verified 2026-10-23. See something out of date? Let Travis know.