Kristen M. R. Blabey

– PARTNER –

EXPERIENCE

Ms. Blabey’s practice includes estate planning, probate and trust administration, charitable planning, and taxation matters. Her practice focuses on all aspects of estate planning including creating wills, trusts, charitable trusts, health care directives, durable powers of attorney, deeds, and other estate planning instruments. She works with clients to create a cohesive estate plan, helping individuals update their retirement plan and life insurance designations, and making sure there is alignment between their financial assets and the ultimate disposition provided for in the documents. She facilitates discussions for families regarding wealth preservation and wealth transfer strategies between generations and to charitable organizations. Ms. Blabey also specializes in planned giving; she helps individuals craft charitable trusts or other planned giving vehicles as a component of their estate plan and helps local non-profit organizations create planned giving programs.

In addition to lifetime estate planning, she handles probates and trust administrations. Ms. Blabey works closely with trustees, executors, and beneficiaries to navigate the various steps of the trust administration or probate process including asset distribution, the filing of federal estate tax returns, court petitions and filings, sub-trust funding, real property transactions, business succession planning, and estate distribution issues.

Ms. Blabey joined Price, Postel & Parma in 2005. She previously worked for the law firm of Warren, Hensley and Bowen in Boston, MA, where she was involved in a wide range of legal matters, including civil litigation, estate planning, and real estate transactions. Ms. Blabey is a native of Santa Barbara and attended Laguna Blanca School.

EDUCATION

• ​Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT (B.A., 1999)
• Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA (J.D., cum laude, 2003)
• Member – International Law School Association
• Member – Intellectual Property Law School Association

ADMISSIONS

• California
• Massachusetts

MEMBERSHIPS

• The State Bar of California
• Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council
• The W Source
• Santa Barbara County Bar Association
• Santa Barbara Women Lawyers

HONORS

• Pacific Coast Business Times, Top 50 Women in Business (2024)
• Pacific Coast Business Times,Who’s Who in Professional Services (Attorney Designation) (2022)
• Pacific Coast Business Times, Top 50 Women in Business (Editor’s Choice Award) (2019)

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara – Trustee, Board of Trustees (Current: Chair of the Board; Chair – Outreach & Stewardship, Audit Committee)
• MOXI – Wolf Museum of Exploration & Innovation – Member, Board of Directors
• Laguna Blanca School, Santa Barbara, California
  • Planned Giving Council Chair
  • Laguna Annual Fund Co-Chair
  • President of the Alumni Association (2014 – 2018)
  • Alumni Representative to Board of Trustees (2006 – 2008)
• First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara – Planned Giving Committee
• Middlebury College – Alumni Interviewer, Southern California Region
• Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History – Planned Giving Committee (2018 – 2022)
• The Junior League of Santa Barbara – Sustaining Member; Strategic Planning Chair; Nominating Committee (2007 – 2020)
• American Heart Association – Planned Giving Committee (2008 – 2011)
• Santa Barbara Lawyer Magazine – Assistant Editor, Contributor (2006 – 2011)
• Santa Barbara Music & Arts Conservatory – Board of Trustees (2005 – 2013)