practice areas
Will & Trust Contests

Will & Trust Contests


Challenging And Defending Wills And Trusts In California

We are lawyers who rigorously investigate suspected elder financial abuse and other wrongdoing — pursuing will contests and trust contests to deliver to victims what is rightly theirs. In other situations, people are unjustly accused and we vigorously defend their actions or the validity of an existing will or trust.

Experienced, Diligent Lawyers For Complex Estate Matters

The more money and property that is at stake, the greater the likelihood such a case may go all the way to trial — and those that do are often appealed. We are proven trial attorneys with a strong track record of success. Please contact us for a thorough analysis of your situation. The initial consultation will be absolutely free.

Will and trust contests, along with other types of estate litigation, have long been a focus at our Lafayette, California, firm. We deal with cases involving:

  • Competency. You may have doubts surrounding the mental status of the decedent (then a “testator”) when documents such as a will, trust and powers of attorney were created.
  • Undue influence. Competent or not, the testator may have been coerced or unfairly persuaded to grant considerations, make changes or involve someone in the estate.
  • Oral promises. Estate litigation is sometimes justified based on a spoken agreement, even though the decedent did not formalize his or her desires in writing.
  • Mistakes. Wills, trusts and other testamentary documents sometimes contain errors that must be resolved.
  • Forgery. There have been many cases of someone forging a will or other estate documents, or creating forged amendments for personal gain.
  • Physical destruction. Litigation is sometimes required to resolve the estate if testamentary documents have been lost or destroyed.
  • Creditor’s claims. You may need legal counsel as a caregiver who provided services on the promise that you would be compensated after a person’s death, or you may need to dispute the legitimacy of such claims.

You want to be as certain as you can about the facts before filing a will contest or another such lawsuit, and so do we. Steps we take include gathering medical information going back several years, conducting interviews with all who may have insight into the deceased person’s true wishes, and conducting extensive research into case law that may benefit you.

If you have strong suspicions or have yourself been accused of wrongdoing, please call our office in Lafayette at 925-283-6816 or email us today for a free 30-minute consultation.