Our Practice

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• Estate Planning
• Trust and Probate Litigation
• Financial Elder Abuse
• Trust Administration
• Probate of Estates
• Conservatorships
• Guardianships
• Trust Contests
• Will Contests
• Small Estate Affidavits
• Spousal Property Petitions
• Trust Accountings
• Professional Fiduciary Representation

We know that establishing an estate plan can be a daunting task for most clients. We are dedicated to creating your estate plan in a stress-free and easy to understand manner.

We provide comprehensive estate planning counseling and services, including:  Revocable Living Trusts, Trust Restatements and Amendments, Wills, Codicils, Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive, Nomination of Guardian, Deeds to Trusts, Certification of Trust, Living Wills, Assignment of Assets, Final Disposition Instructions, HIPAA Authorization, Instructions for Gifts of Personal Property, guidance in updating beneficiary designation, transfers of entity shares/membership, Special Needs Trusts (SNT), Pet Trusts, and Trustee Resignations; all custom drafted for your needs.  

Sometimes estate planning goes wrong, or a fiduciary breaches their duties, or even worse, an estate plan is the result of bad acts. We provide legal counsel and litigation services to address all aspects of Trust and Probate disputes. 

Our office litigates Trust and Will contests, undue influence claims, incapacity claims, Financial Abuse of an Elder or Dependent Adult actions, breach of fiduciary duty claims, Fiduciary removal and surcharge actions, 17200 Petitions, 850 Petitions, Trust Accounting objections, contested Conservatorships, and other fiduciary or beneficiary actions.    

The administration of a Trust or Probate Estate can be complicated and  emotional experience. Especially if you are administering a loved one's estate or there are disputes amongst siblings. Our office guides Trustees and Estate Executors (or Administrators) through the process and ensures the many formalities and steps necessary to successfully complete the administration are done. 

Our Trust Administration services include complete Trustee representation during the entire administration of a Trust, Trustee's Notices (Probate Code 16061.7), Trust Accountings, Affidavit of Change of Trustee, Probate Code 17200 petitions, Heggstad petitions, A/B Trust Allocation and Funding, Resignation of Trustee, advising beneficiaries and protecting their inheritance, Releases and Waivers, Petitions to Modify Trusts, Petitions for Instructions, Trust decanting,  

Our Probate services include complete Personal Representative representation (from Petition for Probate to Petition for Final Distribution), Spousal Property Petitions, Small Estate Affidavits,  Affidavit Re: Real Property of Small Value, Creditor Claims, Family Allowances, Inventory and Appraisals, and counseling regarding Non-Probate Transfers (Affidavit Death of Joint Tenant, Life Insurance claims, Retirement Benefit processing, TOD Accounts, Transfer on Death Deeds). 

Unfortunately, there may come a time where a conservatorship is necessary for an aging family member or for a dependent adult. Or when a Guardianship of a minor is inevitable. Whether an un-contested and collaborative effort, or a disputed matter amongst family members with vying interests, our office guides our clients through the Conservatorship and Guardianship process.

Our Conservatorship and Guardianship practice includes Conservatorship of the Person and/or Estate petitions, Temporary Conservatorship petitions, Guardianship of the Person and/or Estate petitions, Representation of Conservators and Guardians, Conservatorship Accountings, Guardianship Accountings, finding less restrictive alternatives to a Conservatorship, Accounting objections, Removal of Conservators, Financial Abuse Claims, Substituted Judgment petitions, and Capacity Declarations.