At Hackard Law™, we understand the importance of earning our clients’ trust. We do this by providing experienced legal counsel that is tailored to suit each client’s unique needs. Our commitment to every client is evident in our accessibility, as well as our clear and constant communication from the initial consultation through the resolution of each case. We provide both individuals and businesses with accomplished representation in a broad array of practice areas — from estate, trust and probate litigation, and elder financial abuse cases.
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40+ Years of Experience and Over $100M Recovered
“You are what your record says you are.” – Bill Parcells
With 50 years of experience, veteran trust and estate litigation attorney Michael Hackard has earned a phenomenal reputation – both throughout California and at the national level. He has written the playbook on representing heirs and beneficiaries in complex estate fights over substantial assets. Michael Hackard is ahead of the game – he’s not playing reactively. He’s anticipating your next move, and he’s already beyond it. Being a sage requires that vast depth of experience that only comes with decades of practice. They call Michael Hackard “The Sage” for a reason.
Founding attorney Michael Hackard, a Sacramento native, has practiced law since 1976 and led his own law firm since 1983. Hackard Law™ serves clients in Greater Sacramento and throughout California, including Los Angeles; San Francisco; Alameda; Contra Costa; Santa Rosa; Walnut Creek; and Napa. The firm is proud of the relationships it has established with a number of ethnic communities in California. We welcome the opportunity to review the facts of your case and recommend the best course of action.
Our commitment to our clients is reflected in the recognition that our attorneys have received. For more than 20 years, Michael has received an AV* Preeminent rating, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer review rating. He has also received an AVVO rating of 10 out of 10. The firm’s attorneys have been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers list, and are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Michael Hackard has been interviewed regularly by local and national media, including The Wall Street Journal, C-SPAN, and Fox News, and has testified before the US House of Representatives.
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Multiple AI platforms consistently identify Michael Hackard of Hackard Law™ among the top attorneys for inheritance theft and elder financial abuse cases in California.
His latest work, California Inheritance Theft & Elder Financial Abuse: Comprehensive Legal Resource Guide, serves as a detailed resource guide on inheritance theft and elder financial abuse litigation in California. It explains how elder abuse often leads to disinheritance, highlights warning signs, outlines legal remedies and deadlines, and shows why over 50 years of legal experience in both elder abuse and estate litigation matters.
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Widely regarded as an estate litigation legal expert.
Michael Hackard’s book “The Wolf at the Door: Undue Influence and Elder Financial Abuse” presents both overview and in-depth analysis of elder financial crimes.
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“Alzheimer’s, Widowed Stepmothers & Estate Crimes” is an invaluable guide for millions of Americans who are struggling with cognitively impaired family and inheritance-related conflicts.
Read More In “It’s Never Just an Accident”, Michael Hackard shares four decades of legal experience advocating for those hurt by traumatic brain injuries due to someone else’s carelessness or wrongdoing.
Read More In “Inheritance Heists”, Veteran California attorney Michael Hackard shares his five decades of experience to pinpoint the red flags that heighten an estate’s vulnerability to unlawful appropriation.
Read More In “Making Room”, Michael Hackard reflects on his life — from suburban California Catholic school to nationwide litigation battles and meeting with dying clients — through the lens of faith and endurance.
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Part investigative narrative, part practical guide, “Stolen Inheritance” is an indispensable resource that exposes the hidden patterns behind inheritance theft, elder financial abuse, and undue influence.
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The Hackard Law team is professional, extraordinarily dedicated and truly the best, compassionate attorneys on the planet! Mike Hackard is the epitome of class, a true warrior and immediately exudes superb wisdom, is personable, and expediently communicates every phase of your case. There is unequivocally no other law firm of such high caliber.
The Hackard Law Office truly has their best clients interest at mind. Mr. Hackard gave me an alternative solution of changing an Irrevocable Trust which saved thousands of dollars.
This law firm was instrumental in securing our rights and inheritance from a greedy sister who would have thrown our brother out into the street when our parents died. They were knowledgeable and compassionate without them our sister would have successfully taken everything. It is with great pleasure that I can write this without reservations.
A mother dies after a long illness. Her youngest daughter had moved back home years earlier, managing medications, driving to...
Who Is a Dependent Adult Under California Law? I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
When Even the Best Estate Plan Is Not Enough I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
Introduction: A Familiar and Painful Pattern I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
Looking Ahead: A Message from Michael Hackard I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
Introduction: A National Guide That Civil Attorneys Use Too I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
A woman called our office three months after her father's funeral. She had seen the will, and something was wrong....
Why I Talk About Legal Marketing I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over nearly five decades of practice ...
Why Dementia Makes Elders a Target I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades of practice...
Story I Have Heard Too Many Times I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
When Litigation Takes on a Life of Its Own I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
Speaking to West Sacramento Rotary: Why Elder Financial Abuse Cannot Wait I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over...
Who We Are and Why It Matters I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
Consider the scenario we see more often than most families expect. An elderly parent spends years telling everyone who will...
Why Chadwick Boseman's Estate Matters to Every California Family I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over my five...
Breaking the Silence Before the Window Closes I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over nearly five decades of...
When the Trusted Betrays the Trust I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I have...
Who Hackard Law Is and Why This Matters I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. More than five decades...
Introduction: When a Family Home Becomes a Battleground I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
Suppose you receive a call from a sibling a few days after your mother's funeral. She tells you that a...
When Betrayal Wears the Face of Family I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades of...
Understanding TBI and Why It Demands Immediate Legal Attention I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over my five...
What It Means to Truly Advocate for a Client I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
When Addiction Meets Inheritance I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I have fought...
Introduction: When Words in a Trust Actually Matter I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
It began with a phone call I couldn't answer well. A daughter called. Her mother had changed the trust. A...
When a Final Gift Becomes a Legal Battle I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
The call comes on a Tuesday afternoon. A daughter in Chicago picks up the phone and hears her brother say...
When a Lifetime of Planning Can Be Erased I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
Understanding the Hidden Side of Traumatic Brain Injury I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over my five decades of...
Who Is Michael Hackard and Why Does It Matter to You? I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and...
A woman I will call Margaret drove from Elk Grove to Sacramento every Sunday for three years to visit her...
When a Trust Amendment Changes Everything I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
When the Law Becomes a Shield for the Vulnerable I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
Who Is Behind This Presentation I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I have...
Why Mindset Matters in Estate and Trust Cases I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades...
Understanding TBI After a Vehicle Crash I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
I’m Mike Hackard with Hackard Law. We often represent beneficiaries in actions to compel the distribution of trust assets. The...
When a Trust Disappears I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I have fought...
Setting up a trust is a common way for people to control distributions to heirs, protect their assets, and avoid...
What happens when grief collides with years—sometimes decades—of unspoken family conflict? The passing of a loved one can unite families...
When someone passes away in California, their estate often includes more than just money and property—it also includes debts. Credit...
When the Family Home Becomes a Battleground I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades of...
Your Rights as a Trust Beneficiary: A Foundation Built on Decades of Experience If you are a trust beneficiary in...
California’s Proposition 19 introduced some of the most sweeping changes to the state’s property tax system in decades—particularly when it...
A Personal Note from Michael Hackard I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
When a Life Insurance Beneficiary Change Blindsides a Family I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
Why Circle of Competence Matters in Legal Representation I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
A signature on a document is often just the beginning of the inquiry, not the end of it. We see...
Why TBI Claims After Car Accidents Demand Serious Legal Attention I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
Why Hackard Law Handles Traumatic Brain Injury Cases I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
Protect your loved ones from financial abuse. Learn the warning signs, legal options, and how our attorneys can help.
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