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Probate Code Estate Planning Elder Issues

Downey Brand LLP

Dementia Causes Uneasy Balance Between Freedom and Protection

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Independence Day invites reflection on another form of freedom. How do we respect the autonomy of California’s elders who experience progressive forms of dementia while protecting them from potential abuse and other harm?...more

Downey Brand LLP

Elder Abuse Restraining Orders May Prevent Estate Planning Changes

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Can a California court stop others from changing an elder’s estate plan?  Yes, in extreme circumstances, suggests a case arising from conflict in a blended family over which side would benefit from an elder’s trust....more

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New California Statutes Change Spousal Undue Influence Presumptions

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California trust and estate disputes often involve allegations that a surviving spouse took advantage of a deceased spouse so as to get more of the latter’s assets. Often the “spousal financial abuse” charges are leveled by...more

Downey Brand LLP

Elder Abuse Is Not a Trojan Horse – Bad Faith Must Be Shown for Double Damages Under Probate Code Section 859

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Probate Code section 859, our subject in a recent post, packs a punch in California trust litigation. It awards double damages against someone who in bad faith wrongfully takes property from an elder, in bad faith takes...more

Downey Brand LLP

California Legislature Cracks Down on Caregivers Who Marry Dependent Adults

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Many California financial elder abuse cases we see involve caregivers. While the vast majority are honest, a caregiver who spends many hours alone with a vulnerable client has a unique opportunity to exploit the situation. A...more

Cranfill Sumner LLP

Understanding Trusts: Do you need one? What are the? How do they work?

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One of the most common questions clients ask is whether they need a trust. While they are usually seeking a “yes” or “no” answer, as with most legal questions, the correct answer usually is, “It depends.” The answer depends...more

Downey Brand LLP

A Neuropsychologist’s Take on Mental Capacity Evaluation

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Mental capacity issues are commonplace in California trust and probate litigation. Jonathan Canick, Ph.D., who spoke last year at the Sacramento Estate Planning Council on the subject of “Aging, Cognition and Capacity,”...more

Downey Brand LLP

Successor Trustee Gets Privileged Documents Even if Trust Says Otherwise

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The attorney-client privilege in California belongs to the office of trustee, not to the incumbent in that office, thus generally allowing successor trustees to obtain confidential communications that their predecessors had...more

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