Weintraub Tobin’s exceptionally experienced Trusts and Estates attorneys practice throughout the Firm’s Northern and Southern California offices. Many members of the Group have concentrated their practices on Trusts and Estates for more than 20 years. Our Trusts and Estates attorneys focus on clients’ personal concerns as well as their estate planning, tax, and litigation goals. The top priority is to provide clients with the customized service they need and want.
Weintraub’s Trusts and Estates Group is well-known for its probate, trust, and conservatorship administration services. Our Trusts and Estates attorneys represent beneficiaries, executors, corporate, and individual trustees in all aspects of trust administration from initial funding through Probate Court representation, if needed. Weintraub attorneys counsel beneficiaries, fiduciaries, and creditors through all phases of contested and uncontested probate administration, and if an individual cannot manage his or her affairs, our attorneys can file for and establish conservatorships as well as provide conservators with representation on an ongoing basis.
Our Trusts and Estates Group assists a broad spectrum of fiduciaries, including institutional fiduciaries, family members, and licensed professionals. Our attorneys have decades of experience representing fiduciaries with probate, trust, or conservatorship administration, from the very basic to the highly complex, including tax matters that arise during probate.
When disputes arise involving an estate plan or the administration of a probate or trust, Weintraub has a team of dedicated litigators that assist clients with a full range of trust and probate controversies. Unlike general litigators, our team has deep expertise in the Probate Code and Probate Court procedures.
In addition to representing clients in contested matters, our Trusts and Estates litigators have extensive experience with Alternative Dispute Resolution, including mediation and arbitration. This experience includes serving as mediators and arbitrators as well as representing clients in trust and estate disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, contested conservatorships, and elder financial abuse matters.
Weintraub estate planners combine careful analysis and advice on the latest developments in federal and state tax policies in order to meet client objectives and maximize financial benefits in estate and personal tax planning. Our attorneys provide representation on any tax controversies that might arise, including audits and tax court proceedings. Our estate planning attorneys assist clients with retirement planning, business succession planning, asset protection, and entity formation issues.
On August 10, 2026, Weintraub Tobin shareholder Lily Harris and associate Madeline Giles will present on behalf of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF). Their seminar, titled “Discovery Practice in Trusts & Estate Litigation,” will provide an overview of trust and estate litigation discovery practice. Attendees will learn how…
On June 10, 2026, Weintraub Tobin shareholder Lily Harris and associate Madeline Giles presented a webinar on behalf of the Orange County Bar Association. The webinar, titled “Discovery Practice in Trusts & Estate Litigation” will provide an overview of discovery practice as encountered in trust and estate litigation. This program will…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to share that shareholder Lily Harris and associate Madeline Giles will host a webinar on behalf of the Silicon Valley Bar Association on February 11th, 2026. The webinar, titled “The Undiscovered Country: Discovery Practice in Trust and Estate Litigation” will provide an overview of discovery practice as…
On Wednesday, September 10th, Weintraub attorneys David Diepenbrock and Carly Moran will host a training session for the Sacramento chapter of Financial Executives International’s (FEI) CFO professional development series. This session, titled “Executive Presence & Power: Litigation Strategy,” will provide CFOs with practical guidance on navigating legal proceedings that may…
On September 5th, 2025, Weintraub *Certified Appellate Law Specialist Brendan J. Begley presented at the Placer County Bar Association’s Annual MCLE Conference in Roseville. This two-day event featured various substantive classes, including trial advocacy, appeals, Generative A.I. (Ethics), Competency (The Other Bar), new Ethics rules, Implicit Bias, and technology. There…
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,…
On October 22, Weintraub shareholder Gary D. Rothstein will give a presentation on “Performing Due Diligence in New Trust Intake” to California and Nevada members of the Private Wealth Management (PWM) team of a national bank. The presentation aims to help to educate fiduciaries and financial advisors on important steps that…
On May 21, 2024, Jeanne Vance and Anders Bostrom presented an MCLE webinar with the Probate and Estate Planning Law Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association (SCBA) on, “The Corporate Transparency Act: Overview and Recent Developments.” The presentation offered an overview of the Corporate Transparency Act, with specific regard…
Weintraub Tobin attorneys Gary Rothstein and Kelly Dankbar 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 Wire: Managing…
On October 18th, Weintraub shareholder Gary D. Rothstein presented Performing Due Diligence in New Trust Intake for Bank of America Trust Services, where he examined various types of provisions in a trust document to be reviewed by prospective trustees and discussed other factors worth considering, such as family/beneficiary factors, and…
From May 4-7, 2022, the Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC) hosted its 27th Annual Educational Conference at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA. Weintraub Trusts & Estates attorneys Edward J. Corey, Jr., Mary deLeo, Daniel C. Kim, and Gary D. Rothstein presented on the topic of Litigation and the…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that four attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers Top 100 List. The attorneys recognized are Gary L. Bradus, David W. Creeggan, Louis A. Gonzalez, Jr., and Lizbeth (Beth) V. West. The Top 100 list honors the attorneys who achieved…
Weintraub Tobin is honored to announce that 47 of the Firm’s attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists, an annual review recognizing outstanding attorneys in the region. The selection process includes peer nominations, independent research to evaluate candidates, and peer reviews. Super…
The Weintraub Tobin Trusts & Estates team was proud to participate in the 31st Annual Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC) Educational Conference, held May 27–30, 2026, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. (conference website) Recognized as California’s premier educational event for professional fiduciaries, the conference brought…
Weintraub Tobin is proud to support UCP of Sacramento and Northern California’s annual “Humanitarian of the Year” event on May 29, 2026. The Firm’s commitment to UCP’s mission, advancing life without limits for people with disabilities, is exemplified by Trusts & Estates attorney Janet Chediak’s longstanding leadership within the organization. Janet serves on the UCP Foundation Board of Directors…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Lily M. Harris has been named practice group leader for the Firm’s Trusts & Estates group. Lily is a shareholder and experienced litigator who represents clients in a broad range of matters, with a primary focus on trusts and estates litigation. A California…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to welcome Uri Grant as a shareholder in the Firm’s Trusts & Estates group. Uri is an experienced litigator representing beneficiaries, trustees, conservators, and professional fiduciaries through the legal and emotional challenges that arise in probate, trust, and conservatorship disputes. He will be based out of…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to welcome Colton J. Dumont as an associate with the Firm’s Trusts & Estates practice group. Colton started with Weintraub as a Law Clerk and was elevated to associate after passing the California Bar. Based in Sacramento, Colton brings a strong academic foundation and commitment to…
Weintraub Tobin is proud to share that the Firm has been recognized for excellence in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms®, earning multiple Tier 1 placements across key practice areas. The Firm maintained all of its 2025 Tier 1 rankings and added several new or elevated distinctions. Weintraub was…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Madeline C. Giles has joined the Trusts and Estates Section Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association – or TEXCOM – as New Lawyers Section Liaison. Madeline is an associate in the Firm’s Trusts & Estates practice group, where she litigates contested conservatorships…
Weintraub Tobin is proud to share that two attorneys have been honored in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® as a “Lawyer of the Year” in Sacramento. The Best Lawyers in America® is a highly respected peer-reviewed guide highlighting the top legal talent across the United States.…
Weintraub Tobin is proud to share that 46 of the Firm’s attorneys have been honored in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ (up from 41 attorneys last year). Of the 46 attorneys recognized, 11 have been recognized as Ones…
A professional fiduciary occupies a position of remarkable trust. When a vulnerable adult places the management of their financial life in a professional fiduciary’s hands, that trust is legal, statutory, and in California, both licensed and regulated. When the threat to the beneficiary comes from a family member, a caregiver…
Professional fiduciaries are hired for their expertise, experience, and neutrality. Courts precisely appoint professional fiduciaries because of familial strife and complex administrations. Yet, time and time again, skilled professional fiduciaries walk straight into costly litigation; not because they were dishonest, not because they were negligent, but because they did not…
Financial elder abuse is one of the least reported and misunderstood issues affecting families in California. Despite not always looking like theft, it often begins with small, seemingly innocuous shifts. Common patterns include: a senior who stops discussing money, a caregiver who starts attending every appointment, or an estate plan…
Trust litigation frequently leads to prolonged conflict and substantial expense, eroding the value of California trusts and estates over time. These losses diminish funds that would otherwise pass to beneficiaries. Trust disputes in California range widely in size, from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars. Regardless of…
Being named a trustee in California is an honor that carries serious legal responsibilities because your actions determine whether families experience smooth trust administration or costly litigation. Understanding your fiduciary duties under California’s Probate Code isn’t optional: failure to comply can result in personal liability, removal from your position, and an obligation to reimburse the trust for losses you caused. …
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…
This article was first published in Volume 29, Issue 2, 2023 of the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, reprinted by permission. I. SYNOPSIS Ed was a vibrant and healthy 85-year-old. One day, he decided to sign an advance healthcare directive providing that if his physical condition ever declined, he wished…
An essential aspect of estate planning is the Trustee, who will be tasked to carry out wishes. This is such an important role that potential Trustees are usually asked if they would be willing to take on the responsibility before being named in a Trust. Occasionally, however, Trustees are surprised…
On September 30, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California AB 1194 amending numerous statutes pertaining to conservatorships. The following are highlights: Internet Posting of Fees of Licensed Professional Fiduciary: On or before January 1, 2023, an individual licensed as a professional fiduciary (LPF) by the State of California, and who…
In the recently published case of Hudson v. Foster, 2021 Cal.App. LEXIS 737, the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, Division Five, determined that a former conservatee who discovered that certain transactions in his conservator’s previously approved accounting were falsely reported, was under no obligation to comb through…
As trusts and estates litigation counsel, we often have matters where a fiduciary, either as a trustee, conservator, personal representative, or agent under a power of attorney, fails to provide financial information when properly requested, or to provide an accounting if one is required under law. The result is that…
