An innovative provider of sophisticated legal services in over 45 practice areas.

Kelly E. Dankbar

Shareholder

Sacramento

916.558.6061

Download PDF

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

EDUCATION

J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 1995

B.A., California State University, Sacramento, 1991

Experience

Kelly is a shareholder in the Firm’s Trusts and Estates group and focuses her practice on helping people solve problems after someone passes away. 

Kelly also works with families and other loved ones to protect seniors when they become incapacitated.  Kelly combines her litigation experience with a thorough knowledge of probate law to help her clients resolve a wide range of trust and probate disputes, including elder financial abuse claims, contested conservatorships, will and trust contests, contested accountings, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and other contested and uncontested matters involving the administration of trusts and estates.  With Kelly’s extensive experience in helping families resolve disputes, she knows that a successful result often involves keeping the family relationships intact, and she helps her clients work through their disputes at very emotionally difficult times.

Kelly also represents beneficiaries as well corporate and individual trustees, executors, and other fiduciaries in a wide range of uncontested matters, including interpretation of complex estate planning documents, accountings, petitions for instructions, petitions for construction of trust instruments, and other probate and trust administration issues.

Kelly regularly speaks on trust and estates litigation and elder financial abuse issues and has been a panelist for continuing legal education programs for CEB, NBI, Legal Services of Northern California, and the Placer County Bar Association.  Kelly has also authored several articles about elder financial abuse litigation, including “Contractual Arbitration:  Is It Binding on the Victims of Elder Abuse?”

State Bar of California, Litigation and Trusts and Estates Section

Sacramento County Bar Association, Probate and Estate Planning Section
Chair, 2008

Sacramento Estate Planning Council
Board Member

Sacramento County Financial Abuse Specialist Team (SacFAST)
Member

Placer County Bar Association
Member

Meritas, Sacramento
Member

American Cancer Society’s Hope Gala
Board of Ambassadors

Awards

The Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year 2024 for Litigation – Trusts and Estates (Sacramento)

The Best Lawyers in America®, 2018-2025 (Litigation – Trusts and Estates)

Sactown Magazine’s Top Lawyers List, 2015, 2018 – 2024 –Estate Planning and Probate

Northern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2009

Northern California Super Lawyers, 2012-2025

Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar, 2018

Kelly E. Dankbar, Lily M. Harris, and Josiah M. Prendergast Present at 30th Annual PFAC Educational Conference at Disneyland Resort

On May 8th, Weintraub attorneys Kelly E. Dankbar, Lily M. Harris, and Josiah M. Prendergast presented at the 30th Annual PFAC Educational Conference at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The event, hosted by the Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC,) provided comprehensive education and networking opportunities for professional fiduciaries. Their presentation,…

  • When: May 8, 2025 10:30 am PDT
  • Where: 30th Annual PFAC Educational Conference at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA

Weintraub Attorneys Present at 29th Annual PFAC Educational Conference

Weintraub Tobin attorneys Gary Rothstein, Kelly Dankbar, and Evan Winet presented at the 29th Annual PFAC Educational Conference in San Diego, CA. The conference, which was held May 15-18, 2024, provided comprehensive education for professional fiduciaries. The presentation from Weintraub’s Trusts & Estates Group, titled “Maintaining Balance on A High…

  • When: May 16, 2024
  • Where: Town & Country Resort, San Diego, CA

SCBA Probate & Estate Planning Section Boot Camp

Weintraub attorneys Carlena Tapella and Kelly Dankbar will be speaking on the topic of “Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees” at the 2019 Probate Litigation Boot Camp sponsored by the Sacramento County Bar Association. Event: 2019 Probate Litigation Boot CampWhen: Tuesday, September 17, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMWhere: Sacramento County Bar Association,…

  • When: Sep 17, 2019

Weintraub Tobin Participates in 30th Annual PFAC Conference

The Weintraub Tobin Trusts & Estates team was proud to attend and present at the 30th Annual Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC) Conference, held May 7–9, 2025, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. As part of the conference agenda, attorneys Kelly Dankbar, Lily Harris, and Josiah Prendergast led an…

35 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, 4 Weintraub Tobin attorneys received special recognition on Northern California and Sacramento “Top” lists. Weintraub attorneys represent 16 percent…

33 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 33 Weintraub Tobin attorneys have been included on the 2020 Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists for outstanding attorneys in Northern California.  In addition, 5 Weintraub Tobin attorneys received special recognition on Northern California and Sacramento “Top” lists. Weintraub attorneys represent 20 percent of…

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. Weintraub Tobin attorneys named to the 2018 Southern California…

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. Weintraub Tobin attorneys named to the 2017 Southern California…

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. Weintraub Tobin attorneys named to the 2016 Southern California and San Diego Super…

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 attorneys named to the 2015 Southern California and San Diego…

Weintraub Tobin Raises Money for American Heart Association

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, September 21 at William Land Park. Our attorneys and staff work hard during the summer months to gear up for…

Announcing Weintraub’s Trusts and Estates Law Blog

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, including fiduciaries, CPAs, and attorneys about: – Trusts and estates litigation- Estate planning- Elder law- Estate and gift tax-…

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, employment and entertainment markets in Southern California. The firm has expanded in Sacramento, too.…

Duo Works To Protect Elderly From Financial Scams

The Daily JournalJuly 02, 2007 By Gary Scott, Daily Journal Staff Writer Shareholders Ed Corey and Kelly Sutter comment on the protection of the elderly from financial scams as the population in California grows older and lives longer. They note that there is a dramatic increase in the number of…

Navigating Business Interests as a Fiduciary in California

by Kelly E. Dankbar, Lily M. Harris, Josiah M. Prendergast
Trusts & Estates Legal Updates

Administering a trust or probate estate is challenging enough—but what happens when you, as a private professional fiduciary, are tasked with managing a business interest? Whether you’re a professional trustee, conservator, or personal representative, stepping into the shoes of a business owner brings a host of unique legal and practical…

Announcing Weintraub’s Trusts and Estates Law Blog

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, including fiduciaries, CPAs, and attorneys about: – Trusts and estates litigation- Estate planning- Elder law- Estate and gift tax-…