Probate Law Firm

Serving California

Keystone is your go-to law firm for everything probate. Our probate attorneys specialize in all types of trust, estate and conservatorship litigation and other probate disputes.

How Can Our Probate
Lawyers Assist You?

Celebrating 10 Years of Success

With each passing year, we have broadened our expertise, expanded our reach, and solidified our reputation as a trusted and reliable legal partner.

What We Do

What Our Probate Lawyers Do - Probate Services

There is no probate matter Keystone’s probate lawyers can’t handle. Our probate services cover a wide range of areas, so whatever your needs, Keystone’s probate attorneys can meet them. Learn more about each of our services by clicking on the links below.

Trust & Will Disputes

Fiduciary Misconduct

Property Disputes

Elder Financial Abuse

Trust & Estate Administration

Conservatorship

Guardianship

Probate Appeals

Trust & Will Disputes

Wills and trusts do not always clearly convey their creators’ true final intentions, nor do they necessarily reflect what their creators’ true final intentions were. If you have concerns about a decedent’s will or trust, it may be possible to dispute the document. A lawyer can help you determine whether a valid cause exists to bring a dispute.

Fiduciary Misconduct

It’s an unfortunate reality that the fiduciary who has been appointed to represent your interests can drop the ball on their responsibilities, abuse their power or breach their duties. If you believe a fiduciary has committed misconduct, a case can be built and brought against them.

Property Disputes

The attorneys at Keystone regularly litigate disputes over property, so they possess the experience, knowledge and skills to help you achieve your desired outcome in a property dispute matter. Keep reading to learn more about our property dispute services. If you have further questions, call Keystone today to request a free consultation and devise an individualized approach to your case.

Elder Financial Abuse

If you believe yourself or someone you know to be a victim, our elder abuse attorneys can help prevent further abuse and recover any property that was lost as a result of it. Our reliable team can also assist those who believe they have been wrongfully accused of financially exploiting an elder. We have the resources and experience needed to investigate the allegations and build a strong defense on your behalf.

Trust & Estate Administration

Both executors and trustees are fiduciaries, which means that they have a duty to always act in the beneficiaries’ best interests. If they don’t, they could be sued. The best way to avoid such situations is to have skilled estate and trust administration attorneys on your team to guide you and assist with your duties.

Conservatorship

If you are considering guardianship of a parent or someone else in your life, it’s essential to consult with an experienced conservatorship attorney. Our team of lawyers can help you navigate the process and protect your vulnerable loved one’s best interests. Contact us today to request a free consultation.

Guardianship

The attorneys at Keystone Law Group understand the complexities surrounding the establishment of guardianship and are well-equipped to assist adults seeking guardianship over a minor or guardians seeking counseling about their duties.

Probate Appeals

In the probate court, it is unlikely that every party will be satisfied with the outcome of a case. However, while it is rare, if you believe a mistake was made during the court proceedings that led to an imbalanced or incorrect ruling, requesting an appellate court to review the decision may be an option that’s available to you.

Awards

Fortune:

BEST WORKPLACES
IN CONSULTING
& PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES™
2023

Fortune:

BEST
SMALL
WORKPLACES™
2023

Our Record

An Undeniable History of Success

Keystone’s impeccable record speaks for itself. Our unmatched experience and ingenuity enables us to resolve probate matters favorably and efficiently. Keystone’s probate lawyers aim for nothing short of success with every case. For probate services of the highest caliber, turn to Keystone’s probate attorneys.

Fiduciary Misconduct

Property Dispute

Conservatorship

Trust & Estate Administration

Trust & Will Dispute / Elder Financial Abuse

Conservatorship

Trustee Removed

Court Removes Trustee Based on Financial Abuse

Keystone represented a client in her 70s who unknowingly created an irrevocable trust while overly medicated by her son. The son made himself trustee and misappropriated trust assets. At the initial hearing, Keystone’s probate attorneys persuaded the court to immediately suspend the son as trustee and replace him with a private professional fiduciary. Our client’s property was ultimately returned to her as well.

Stolen Funds Recovered

Millions Recovered From Serial Financial Abusers

Keystone first helped its client get appointed as the administrator of her brother’s $50 million estate. Later, Keystone assisted with litigating against the decedent’s two pseudo-caregivers who collectively unduly influenced and defrauded the decedent. In total, Keystone’s probate lawyers were able to help the estate secure the return of more than $2 million in stolen money and property, and obtain a judgment for an additional $1 million.

Emergency Conservatorship

Mother's Life Saved During COVID-19

Keystone helped its client obtain an emergency temporary conservatorship over her mother, who had advanced Alzheimer’s disease and was being kept inside her brother’s home, which was suspected to be a hotbed of COVID-19 cases. As a result, Keystone’s client, over the objection of her brother, was able to remove her mother from the home and into a safe, secure location.

Instructions Provided

Trustee Protected When Distributing Assets

Keystone’s client was the trustee of his sister and brother-in-law’s trust. Because it contained language that was ambiguous in terms of who should receive the primary asset of the trust, the decedent’s home, the client was uncertain how to distribute it. Keystone’s probate lawyers helped the client obtain the clarification he needed to fairly distribute the property according to the trust’s terms and extrinsic evidence.

The "Sugar Daddy" Abuser

Elder Coerced into Giving Assets to Abuser

Keystone’s client sought to invalidate a trust after learning that the decedent from whom they stood to inherit had left the entirety of his estate to a new partner he had just met off a dating site who was 50 years his junior and an ostensible predator. Not long after amending his trust, the abuser died under suspicious circumstances. Ultimately, Keystone was able to reach a favorable settlement for its clients that called for the new version of the trust to be invalidated by arguing that the gift to the partner was an illegal payment for prostitution and the partner’s actions constituted financial elder abuse.

Bullies Never Win

Rightful Share of the Family Business

Keystone’s client had spent most of her adult life managing the family business. When her father’s behavior became turbulent, she believed his unfitness was due to a decline in mental competence or a flagrant disregard of fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the trust and its beneficiaries. In order to preserve and protect trust assets, as well as her father’s own trust fund distributions, Keystone’s client needed to try to have her father removed as a co-trustee. Keystone’s trust litigation attorneys were able to resolve the case in which its client became the sole company owner after buying out her father’s and sister’s shares.

Who We Help

Type of Clients We Work With

Our probate attorneys assist clients on all ends of the spectrum with their probate matters. Whether you are bringing a claim, defending against a claim or are simply in need of guidance, our probate lawyers have you covered.

Executor / Administrator

Our probate lawyers can help executors and administrators navigate their duties, and, if needed, litigate regarding wills and estates.

Trustee

Our probate attorneys can help trustees navigate their duties, and, if needed, litigate regarding trusts.

Beneficiary

Our probate lawyers can help beneficiaries enforce their inheritance rights and address any trust or estate dispute that arises.

Spouse

Our probate lawyers can help spouses enforce their inheritance and community property rights, even if they are disinherited in a will or trust.

Power of Attorney

Our probate lawyers can counsel attorneys-in-fact with making legal, financial and medical decisions on the principal’s behalf.

Conservator

Our probate attorneys can counsel conservators about initiating a conservatorship for an adult and guide them once they are appointed conservator.

Guardian

Our probate attorneys can counsel guardians about initiating a guardianship of a minor and guide them once they are appointed guardian.

Creditors

Our probate attorneys can assist creditors with recovering debts from decedents and beneficiaries.

About Us

Keystone Law Group

The probate lawyers at Keystone use creativity and carefully crafted legal actions to protect their clients’ interests in trust, estate and conservatorship administration, as well as in litigation. When delivering probate services, our well-trained team of probate attorneys maintain a clear focus of our clients’ goals and work hard to achieve them. Keystone’s probate lawyers have helped hundreds of clients resolve their probate matters effectively and using the full range of remedies permitted by the law.

Our Attorneys

Keystone’s probate lawyers are well-qualified to represent clients in any probate matter, no matter how complex.

Our Staff

Keystone’s attentive staff provides support to our probate attorneys and clients throughout the legal process.

Values & History

Our probate firm maintains a singular focus on probate matters to better serve our clients.

Our Attorneys

Keystone’s probate lawyers are well-qualified to represent clients in any probate matter, no matter how complex.

Our Staff

Keystone’s attentive staff provides support to our probate attorneys and clients throughout the legal process.

Values & History

Our probate firm maintains a singular focus on probate matters to better serve our clients.

Request a free consultation today.

Our Clients

Testimonials

Conservatorship

“I just have no words to express my gratitude for what you have done for our lives. It is a miracle of immeasurable proportions. You have truly acted to save my mother’s life…”

DinaConservator

Fiduciary Misconduct

“It will always be an honor and privilege to voice how the team was always professional, thorough and tactful in handling every situation down to the detail…”

BenBeneficiary

Property Disputes

“I’m glad we were able to get in touch with a very knowledgeable probate firm that helped us our through these difficult past couple of years…”

PaulSpouse

Fiduciary Misconduct

“Hands down, the best probate litigation firm in all of Los Angeles…”

NicoleBeneficiary

Trust & Will Disputes

“I feel fortunate that I found your office to pursue this trust contest, not because we won, but because the character of your office and the character of my representation was simply put, virtuous…”

JackHeir

Fiduciary Misconduct

“The entire staff is knowledgeable, warm, considerate, prompt and have exceeded my wildest expectations of lawyers. They know what they are doing…”

LendaTrustee and Benefciary

Do you feel the same way? We would love to know!

Our Blog

Probate News

Visit our blog to learn what’s happening in Keystone’s world as well as in the world of probate. It’s all the probate news you need in one spot!

Blog

Keystone Receives Great Place to Work Certification

Blog

Recap of Keystone’s 2021 Successes

Blog

Attorneys, Beware! Changes to California Conservatorship Law May Affect Private Fiduciary Clients

Blog

Defending the Indefensible: Defending a Trust Contest Without Probable Cause May Trigger Enforcement of a Trust’s No Contest Clause

Blog

Caution: Attorney-Trustee Communications Are Discoverable by a Successor Trustee – Even if the Trust Says Otherwise