5 Questions You Should Ask BEFORE You Hire a Santa Clara Probate Litigation Attorney

Back in 1968, my college education began at Santa Clara University. Military service intervened, but since then I’ve regularly represented clients in Santa Clara County estate, probate, or trust lawsuits. When you’re facing an estate fight, you may find it necessary to hire a probate litigator for Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, or San Jose. Not just a California probate lawyer or estate attorney, but one who focuses on litigating trust disputes and elder financial abuse. That is, a trust litigation attorney who tries cases and goes to court for estate trials in the California Superior Court system.

Lawyers and law firms engaged in Santa Clara trust litigation are familiar with evidence, the discovery of evidence, the introduction of evidence, and how to try a California will contest. So, if it is necessary for you to hire a probate litigation law firm. Here are 5 questions that you may want to ask.

1. Do you focus your practice on Santa Clara and Bay Area inheritance disputes? Do you want an attorney or law firm whose practice is at least 50% or more devoted to probate litigation? Many heirs and beneficiaries of California wills and trusts choose this kind of focus. Most people want to find someone who does probate, estate and trust lawsuits every day.
2. Does your estate litigator really try cases? It is one thing to write letters and another thing to engage a law firm that actually sets estates, trusts and probate matters for trial. While many matters resolve before trial all cases must be prepared for trial. This means conducting depositions, propounding and responding to discovery, and filing motions to protect your inheritance rights.
3. Experience counts. Ask your probate lawyer if they have encountered and resolved issues like or similar to your issues. Your lawyer or prospective lawyer should be upfront with you and tell you what issues in your case they have seen before, and whether they have dealt with your issues in similar cases. This must be done without revealing confidential information but much can be said as to how specific points of law apply to very general facts.
4. Are you respected by other estate, trust and probate attorneys in the Santa Clara area? Does your lawyer work hard to be great lawyer and practice professional ethics at the highest level?
5. How passionate is your lawyer? The saying that “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” applies here. We view it as critically important that our lawyers believe in our clients and their trust, probate and inheritance cases. Go ahead and question the probate litigation lawyer to see what his or her attitudes about clients. Do they care? Do they empathize with you? Are they actively engaged in the interview process or do they seem uninterested? Do they listen? If so, you might care to listen to what they have to say.

At Hackard Law we care what you have to say. If you have a Santa Clara probate or trust litigation matter or a case of elder financial abuse, you can call us to see how we can help you. We’re dedicated to protecting client interests. Our number is 916-313-3030.