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.
Consider a scenario we have seen more than once in our practice. A trustee has been collecting $85,000 a year...
[embed]https://youtu.be/5S_4NDMrVnE[/embed] Why Families Fight - and How to Stop It I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
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[embed]https://youtu.be/KTosr1K2GIg[/embed] Who I Am and Why This Matters I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
Suppose you are one of three adult children named as beneficiaries in your late father's trust. The trustee, your stepmother,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/ts7G62eiaf4[/embed] Who This Is For I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades of practice, I...
[embed]https://youtu.be/-3TMupGpE3Q[/embed] Why Contingency Fee Litigation Is Built on Strategy, Not Chance I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five...
Department 12 of the courthouse. End of the hallway. No windows. Fluorescent tubes and cinderblock beige. Dark wood bench. Darker...
[embed]https://youtu.be/9P6h74Teztw[/embed] Who We Are and Why This Matters I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/kszNrS2v05c[/embed] Why Small Estate Planning Errors Have Big Consequences I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
[embed]https://youtu.be/ObtlQf-UZ0o[/embed] When Loss Meets Legal Conflict I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
[embed]https://youtu.be/SFH1OOWtcWo[/embed] When Love and Law Intersect I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over nearly five decades of practice,...
A parent dies. Within days, a sibling who was named successor trustee goes quiet - stops returning calls, claims the...
[embed]https://youtu.be/NCmASx6kV-E[/embed] Who I Am and Why This Matters I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
[embed]https://youtu.be/FvDOr7R4r-U[/embed] A Lawyer's Perspective on Real Cases - and Real Stakes I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over...
[embed]https://youtu.be/y5j9k9gsym8[/embed] What Sacramento Families Need to Know I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/AvbCjfbOWoQ[/embed] When Dementia Opens the Door to Trust Manipulation I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
Consider a family in Los Angeles that assumed probate was just a formality. Their father had died with a will...
[embed]https://youtu.be/p11JJLijJho[/embed] Why Criminal Law Matters to Civil Elder Abuse Cases I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/kTJxhgUbeY0[/embed] Why Elder Law Matters More Than Ever I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
In 1975 I was a legal researcher for Sacramento Superior Court. Twenty-five years old. One year before the Bar. The...
[embed]https://youtu.be/nQps-Kh9GqM[/embed] Why Choosing the Right Trust Administration Lawyer Changes Everything I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/o1wEPvYmWuk[/embed] Introduction: A Mission-Driven Approach to Trust Litigation I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
Most families who come to us have already spent months watching something wrong unfold. A sibling who moved in to...
[embed]https://youtu.be/YcX0FwmbZq0[/embed] What Every California Heir Should Understand Before Mediation I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/fD7e7JLcFk4[/embed] A Family's Legacy at Stake I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over my five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/8ZGTXftcKUk[/embed] When the Trustee Holds All the Cards I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/VPPk17gSgPw[/embed] When Love and Fear Collide I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over nearly five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/Y17m8xAxLkc[/embed] Why the Wrong Question Costs Families Everything I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over nearly five decades of...
[embed]https://youtu.be/hAQ7lV9ifVM[/embed] Who Is an Abused Beneficiary? I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I...
The moment is seared into memory for families who have lived it. A formal envelope arrives. Inside, a notice that...
[embed]https://youtu.be/jzgLDAvav3U[/embed] When the Course of a Case Turns on a Single Question I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over...
[embed]https://youtu.be/znR9MhnxH0U[/embed] Why the Right Power of Attorney Lawyer Matters I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
[embed]https://youtu.be/0Wy4Wf9uxu0[/embed] When the Cost of Justice Feels Out of Reach I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five...
[embed]https://youtu.be/yzkrPh_SSHw[/embed] Who Is Legally Responsible for Your TBI? I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over my five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/Q3spX3uVTOs[/embed] Why This Issue Is Personal to Me I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of...
[embed]https://youtu.be/fACaIIFm2uI[/embed] Why Senior Women Face a Heightened Risk of Financial Exploitation I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over my...
He left the emergency room on his own. It was a clear CT scan. Shaking hands with everyone, the attending...
[embed]https://youtu.be/1JDEE7cAFls[/embed] Looking Ahead: California Estate and Trust Litigation I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/0Er8pVZ4w_c[/embed] When Fairness Is Stolen: Undue Influence in California Trust Litigation I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over...
[embed]https://youtu.be/bbSCFt2N1PI[/embed] The Justice Gap Nobody Talks About I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over five decades of...
[embed]https://youtu.be/7clnif0bhhA[/embed] When a Trustee Betrays the People They Were Meant to Protect I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law....
October 1962. I was twelve years old. That Sunday before October 22nd, I went to brunch at a diner near...
Picture this scene. A woman in her early seventies is home from the hospital after a car accident. She is...
[embed]https://youtu.be/QL0QSgHm2IA[/embed] What Undue Influence Really Means in California I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/-guGfkTxf9o[/embed] Why Contingency Fee Representation Changes Everything I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over nearly five decades of practice,...
Why Decades of Litigation Experience Change Everything for Your Family I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades...
[embed]https://youtu.be/4djlQmTih9Q[/embed] I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice, I have stood with California families at...
[embed]https://youtu.be/yR7T3Iwqae4[/embed] Who We Are and Why We Fight I'm Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/ZtnpjwjX3Z0[/embed] Who Fights for the Rightful Beneficiary? I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law. Over five decades of practice,...
[embed]https://youtu.be/ragYy_DYat8[/embed] Why Equal and Equitable Are Not the Same Thing I am Michael Hackard, founder of Hackard Law, and over...
Protect your loved ones from financial abuse. Learn the warning signs, legal options, and how our attorneys can help.
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