Kay U. Brooks
Shareholder
Experience
Kay is a shareholder in the Firm’s Trusts & Estates group. She is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Kay advises individuals and families on all aspects of Estate & Tax planning, including family trusts, wills, powers of attorney, health care documents, life insurance trusts, education trusts, charitable giving, business succession planning, gifting programs, and family business entities such as limited liability companies and family limited partnerships. She also assists clients with estate and gift tax issues, and probate and trust administrations.
Admitted to the State Bar of California in 1982, Kay began her legal career practicing business and corporate securities law in Los Angeles and Newport Beach. Kay and her family moved to the Sacramento area in 1990, and she established her own Estate Planning law practice in Placer County prior to joining the Weintraub firm.
Kay prepares high-quality, personalized estate and business succession plans for her clients, with an emphasis on addressing each client’s individual needs and concerns. Her clients appreciate her explanations and are able to resolve challenging planning issues with her guidance. Kay’s clients include sophisticated business owners as well as persons who have had limited occasion to work with legal counsel before, and her customized approach has enabled her to successfully advise clients with a broad range of planning issues.
Kay encourages collaboration among her clients’ advisors so that no issues are overlooked. In keeping with this practice, Kay enjoys her participation and leadership role in the Sacramento Estate Planning Council (“SEPC”), a local professional organization that promotes continuing education and collegiality for all advisors engaged in the area of estate planning services. Kay is a Past President of the SEPC.
Kay has appeared on two public service programs, “Your Money, Your Legacy,” and “You Can’t Take It With You,” which explained estate planning topics and aired regularly on Sacramento’s public television station, KVIE. She has been named as a Five Star Wealth Manager (SM) in Sacramento and a Northern California Super Lawyer. She served as an “Expert” on estate planning, wills and trusts in the Sacramento Bee’s column “Ask the Experts.”
Several Sacramento and Placer charitable organizations have also provided Kay opportunities to serve her community. Kay was a member of the Eureka Schools Foundation Board of Directors and Operating Committee from 1999-2002 and participated on the Planning Giving Committee for Sutter Roseville Community Hospital for many years. She has held positions on the Junior League of Sacramento Board of Directors and served on the Advisory Committee of the Assistance League of Sacramento. Kay is currently a member of the Steering Committee for the Philanthropic Advisors Forum.
Kay has received LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell’s highest “AV” Peer Review Rating for preeminent attorneys.
Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
State Bar of California, Taxation and Trusts and Estates Sections
Member
Sacramento County Bar Association, Probate and Estate Planning and Tax Law Sections
Member
Placer County Bar Association
Member
Sacramento Estate Planning Council
Past President
Meritas, Sacramento
Member
Assistance League of Sacramento Advisory Committee
Member 2002- 2004
Sutter Roseville Hospital
Member of Planned Giving Committee 2001- 2003
Eureka Schools Foundation
Board Director 1999- 2003
Junior League of Sacramento
Member 1990-1999
Board Service: Parliamentarian 1998- 1999, Recording Secretary 1993- 1994
Awards
The Best Lawyers of America© 2018 – 2022 Sacramento, Trusts & Estates
Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar, 2017 – 2019
Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List, 2015-2021 –Estate Planning and Probate
American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Real Property
Top Rated Lawyer ™ in Trusts and Estates Law, 2013 and 2014
Sacramento Region Community Foundation 2018 Recipient of Don Poole Award
Northern California Super Lawyers 2007, 2014-2021
Highest “AV Preeminent” (5 out of 5) Professional Rating
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
J.D., with honors, University of Texas, Austin, 1982
Order of the Coif
B.A., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1978
Phi Beta Kappa
Webinar: Estate Planning in 2020 – What You Need To Know About Estate Planning Now
On May 6, Kay Brooks and Allison Pedrazzi presented What You Need to Know About Estate Planning Now, hosted by the Capital Region Family Business Center. This webinar covered important aspects of estate planning in 2020,
Managing Risk: How To Protect Yourself In A Post-Giraldin World
A Seminar for Fiduciaries Summary of Program Join the attorneys from Weintraub Tobin’s Trusts and Estates Group as they discuss the important legal and practical implications for trustees arising from the recent California Supreme Court decision in the Estate of Giraldin.
Speaking Engagement: Philanthropic Advisor’s Forum Fall Forum
Trusts and Estates Attorney Kay Brooks was a panelist at the Philanthropic Advisors’ of Greater Sacramento’s Fall Forum on Monday, September 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. The forum: “Exploring Creative Solutions with Charitable Case Studies”
Speaking Engagement: Prop. 8, DOMA, and Thoughts on Same-Sex Planning in CA
The United States Supreme Court recently issued its decisions in United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry, striking down the portion of the Defense of Marriage Act that prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriages and rejecting the ballot proponents’ defense of California’s Proposition 8,
16 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Recognized in 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers in America® and 6 Named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
Sacramento, CA (August 19, 2021) – Weintraub Tobin, a leading California full-service law firm, is pleased to announce that 16 attorneys have been included in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers in America and 6 Weintraub attorneys have been included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
26 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Included in Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2021
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 26 of its attorneys have been recognized as 2021 Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine, including 8 attorneys recognized in multiple practices. Voting for Top Lawyers was managed by Professional Research Services and was open to all licensed attorneys in Sacramento.
37 Weintraub Attorneys Named to 2021 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists; Firm Retains Highest Percentage of Sacramento Top 25 List
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 38 of its attorneys have been included on the 2021 Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists for outstanding attorneys in Northern California. In addition,
17 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America© and Ones to Watch 2021
Sacramento, CA (August 20, 2020) – Weintraub Tobin, a leading California full-service law firm, is pleased to announce that 17 attorneys were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. This year Best Lawyers launched “Ones to Watch,” a recognition for attorneys earlier in their careers,
21 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Included in Sacramento Magazine’s 2020 Top Lawyers List
Sacramento, CA – Weintraub is pleased to announce that 21 Firm attorneys have been recognized as 2020 Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine. The full list of 2020 Top Lawyers will be featured in the August,
35 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to 2020 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists; Retain Highest Percentage of Sacramento Top 25 List
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 36 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included on the 2020 Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists for outstanding attorneys in Northern California. In addition,
14 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to Best of the Bar 2019
SACRAMENTO, California – Weintraub Tobin congratulates its 14 attorneys who have been included in Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2019. Attorneys selected to the 2019 Best of the Bar list include Gary L.
19 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America© 2020
SACRAMENTO, CA (August 15, 2019) – Weintraub Tobin, a leading California full-service law firm, is pleased to announce that 19 of our attorneys have been recognized on the 2020 The Best Lawyers in America list.
31 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to 2019 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that more than 30 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included on the 2019 Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists for outstanding attorneys Northern California. In addition,
24 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys included in Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2019
Weintraub is pleased to announce that 24 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized as 2019 Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine. The full list of 2019 Top Lawyers will be featured in the August,
Seventeen Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2018
SACRAMENTO, California – August 24, 2018 – Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation congratulates its seventeen attorneys who have been included in Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2018.
19 Attorneys from Weintraub Tobin were recognized in The Best Lawyers In America ©2019
SACRAMENTO, California – August 15, 2018 – Weintraub Tobin congratulates its nineteen attorneys who have been included in The Best Lawyers of America© 2019 list. David Adams, Sacramento, Corporate Governance Law,
24 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys included in Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2018
SACRAMENTO, California – July 19, 2018 – Weintraub Tobin Law Corporation congratulates its 24 attorneys who have been included in Sacramento Magazine’s 2018 Top Lawyer List. David Adams | Business/Corporate, Securities &
37 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named Among 2018 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Super Lawyers has released its Northern California, Southern California and San Diego lists of outstanding attorneys for 2018, on which 37 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included. Five Weintraub Tobin attorneys received special recognition as a Top 25 Sacramento Super Lawyer.
Thirteen Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2017
SACRAMENTO, California – September 11, 2017 – Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation congratulates its thirteen attorneys who have been included in Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2017.
19 Attorneys from Weintraub Tobin were recognized in The Best Lawyers In America© 2018
SACRAMENTO, California – August 16, 2017 – Weintraub Tobin congratulates its nineteen attorneys who have been included in The Best Lawyers of America© 2018 list. David Adams, Sacramento, Corporate Governance Law,
22 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
SACRAMENTO, CA (August 7, 2017) – Weintraub Tobin, a leading California full-service law firm, is pleased to announce that 22 Weintraub Tobin attorneys are Martindale-Hubbell rated. Out of the 22 attorneys,
21 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys included in Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2017
SACRAMENTO, California – July 26, 2017 – Weintraub Tobin Law Corporation congratulates its 21 attorneys who have been included in Sacramento Magazine’s 2017 Top Lawyer List. Brendan Begley | Appellate Gary L.
36 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named Among 2017 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Super Lawyers has released its Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego lists of outstanding attorneys for 2017, on which 36 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included. Six Weintraub Tobin attorneys received special recognition as a Top 25 Sacramento Super Lawyer.
18 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2016
SACRAMENTO, California – July 25, 2016 – Weintraub Tobin Law Corporation congratulates its 18 attorneys who have been included in Sacramento magazine’s 2016 Top Lawyer List. David C. Adams | Business/Corporate,
33 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named Among 2016 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Super Lawyers has released its Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego lists of outstanding attorneys for 2016, on which 33 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included. Three Weintraub Tobin attorneys received special honors in their respective regions.
Eleven Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2015
SACRAMENTO, California – September 3, 2015 – Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation congratulates its eleven attorneys who have been included in Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar 2015.
20 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named to Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2015
SACRAMENTO, California – August 7, 2015 – Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation congratulates its 20 attorneys who have been included in Sacramento magazine’s Top Lawyer List 2015. David C.
37 Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Named Among 2015 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Super Lawyers has released its Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego lists of outstanding attorneys for 2015, on which 37 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included. Eight Weintraub Tobin attorneys received special honors in their respective regions.
Weintraub Tobin Raises Money for American Heart Association
Heart Walk Logo For a third year in a row, Weintraub Tobin is working to raise funds for cardiovascular diseases and stroke by partaking in the American Heart Association Heart Walk on Saturday,
Weintraub Tobin Attorneys Bike 100 Miles for a Cause
TNT Team.for web Four Weintraub Tobin partners, Chris Chediak, Dale Campbell, Kay Brooks and Louis Gonzalez have raised over $16,800 to help the fight against Leukemia, Lymphoma and other blood cancers.
Four attorneys named “Top Rated Lawyer” in Trust and Estates Law
Congratulations to Kay Brooks, Janet Chediak, Ed Corey and Hilary Lamar, all of whom have been selected as a 2013 “Top Rated Lawyer” in Trust and Estates Law by the national attorney-ranking service Martindale-Hubbell.
Announcing Weintraub’s Trusts and Estates Law Blog
Trusts and Estates Blog Announcement2 Weintraub Tobin is excited to announce the launch of the Trusts and Estates Law Blog. The blog aspires to inform the general public and the professionals in the estate planning community,
Ask the Experts: Are my assets available to my son’s creditors?
This week , Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s question in regards to protecting her assets from her son’s creditors in the Sacramento Bee column “Ask the Experts.”
Ask the Experts: Can you put a joint tenancy asset into your trust?
This week , Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s living trust question in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts." Q: My father, brother, sister and I are joint tenants on shares of stock that he has put in his living trust.
Ask the Experts: Can someone living abroad administer a revocable trust?
Figuring out who should be the administrator of your living trust can be tricky. This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s question on that topic. Q: Can my daughter,
Ask the Experts: No Easy Answers on Refinancing Mom’s House
How do six siblings refinance Mom’s house? This week, "Ask the Experts" tackles this financial topic. The answers are from Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks, one of Sacbee.com’s online contributors.
Ask the Experts: No Easy Answers on Assigning Burial Plots, Refinancing Mom’s House
How do six kids refinance Mom’s house? Who gets the burial plot after a divorce? This week, "Ask the Experts" tackles those two very different financial topics. The answers are from Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks,
Ask the Experts: Do I need to set up a trust?
This week, Sacramento, Calif., attorney Kay Brooks answers one of the most basic questions in financial planning: Do I need a trust or not? Q: When is it best to set up a trust?
Asks the Experts:Trustee can act without her sisters’ consent
What happens when siblings don’t agree on dividing up their parents’ estate? That issue is addressed this week by Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks, part of our online "Ask the Experts"
Ask the Experts: See Estate Lawyer About Gifting Assets
Changes in estate tax laws can be extremely confusing. This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s question about how to preserve a mother’s financial assets in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts."
Ask the Experts: Can we buy out our sister’s share of Mom and Dad’s house?
This week , Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s question regarding buying out another siblings portion of assets from a living trust in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts."
Ask the Experts: Should I Sell Grandma’s Vacant House Now or After her Death?
This week , Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s power of attorney question in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts." Q: I have power of attorney for my 96-year-old great grandma who is suffering from dementia and is no longer able to live in her home.
Ask the Experts: Divorce Calls for New Deed for Home
How to retitle property after a divorce. How to handle a trust after a spouse’s death. This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers’ questions on those topics in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts."
Ask the Experts: What to do if a Trustee has not taken action?
This week , Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s living trust question. Q: I am writing for my Aunt A. My grandmother died in the 90’s. She had a living trust that gave her house to her two daughters,
Ask the Experts: What Does a Probate Cost?
This week , Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s probate question. Q: I read the article about trusts, which are used to avoid probate. How much would a simple probate cost…no real estate,
Ask the Experts: What should I do regarding my trust when my spouse dies?
This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers questions in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts." Q: My wife and I are trustees on our Revocable Trust. My wife died recently.
Ask the Experts: How do we find a good estate planning attorney?
This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers questions in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts." Q: We have an older Trust which was written when our children were minors.
Ask the Experts: Shared vacation property can pose a challenge.
Sharing ownership of a vacation home can pose a dilemma. This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers a reader’s question on that topic. Q: My boyfriend and I recently purchased a vacation home.
Ask the Experts: How Best to Handle Loans Between Family Members.
This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers questions in the Sacramento Bee column “Ask the Experts.” Q: I have a rental property valued at $265,000, the mortgage balance is $151,000 at 5.75%.
Ask the Experts: Boyfriend Wants to Leave Half of Vacation Home to His Son
This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers questions in the Sacramento Bee column “Ask the Experts.” Q: My boyfriend and I recently purchased a vacation home. For now,
Ask the Experts: What about legal fees that are lower than typical fees?
This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers questions in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts." Q. I noticed that an earlier Bee column stated that $1,500 –
Ask the Experts: What do living trusts cover and cost?
Getting a living trust is on many people’s "must-do" lists. But what a living trust covers and how much it costs can be unknowns. Here with some explanations is Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks with Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corp.
Ask the Experts: How do I leave overseas property to heirs?
This week, Sacramento estate planning attorney Kay Brooks answers readers questions in the Sacramento Bee column "Ask the Experts." Q: I have a common situation, but with an interesting twist. I am 87,
Ask the Experts: Accessing safe-deposit boxes and dividing mom’s estate
Q: My wife and I have a safe-deposit box. After we are gone, will our kids have any problem getting into the box? I’ve heard that banks refuse to give children (access) until certain requirements are met.
It’s Official – Weintraub Merges with San Francisco Firm Tobin & Tobin
Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Law Corporation and Tobin & Tobin, a professional corporation, jointly announce the merger of their business law and litigation firms. The combined firm will be named Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Tobin &
Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Announces New Los Angeles Office
Sacramento’s fifth-largest law firm quietly opened a branch in Los Angeles this week. Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Law Corp. has hired two litigators in an office on Wilshire Boulevard to solidify a toehold in the intellectual property,
Fourteen Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Attorneys Honored As 2009 Nor Cal Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Fourteen Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Attorneys Honored as 2009 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 21, 2009 –Weintraub Genshlea Chediak, a Sacramento-based business law and business litigation law firm congratulates its fourteen attorneys who were named as 2009 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars: Super Lawyers: Dale C.
You’re in The Will Now What?
Article by Catherine Warmerdam originally appeared inSacramento Magazine’s December 2007 issue. Inheriting can be a financial windfall—if you do it right. Receiving an inheritance can change your life in ways you’d never expect.
Seven Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Attorneys Honored as 2007 Northern California Super Lawyers
Seven Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Attorneys Honored as 2007 Northern California Super Lawyers SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 27, 2007 –Weintraub Genshlea Chediak, a Sacramento-based business law and business litigation law firm congratulates its seven shareholders who were honored as Northern California Super Lawyers as published in San Francisco Magazine and Northern California Super Lawyers Magazine.
Overcoming Proscrastination – Tips for Starting and Completing Your Estate Plan
Are you having trouble completing or updating your estate plan, although you are convinced you should? Maybe you have a referral to an attorney recommended by a friend or other advisor,
Supreme Court Rules DOMA Section 3 Unconstitutional
Today the United States Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. The case, United States v. Windsor, 570 U.S. ____ (2013), involved the portion of DOMA that stated that the federal government will only recognize marriages between opposite-sex spouses for purposes of federal law.
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