I’m Mike Hackard of Hackard Law. We’re lawyers and advocates. Most of our advocacy centers around trust, estate, and elder financial abuse disputes. Less litigated disputes often involve ambiguity in legal documents. These disputes may have muddled words and alternate meanings. They’re less emotional than disputes where truth seems to be an orphan. There’s an old saying: “See the Truth, Tell the Truth.” There are plenty of cases where people don’t tell the truth. They may not see it as well. Then again, the deceit might be intentional. Or rationalized, exaggerated, obscured. It may be a fabrication. A manufactured falsehood. Discovery, including depositions, can provide an opportunity to seek the truth. It’s by n[...]

I’m Mike Hackard with Hackard Law. We work at being one of California’s leading law firms handling estate, trust, and elder financial abuse cases. We litigate cases from Sacramento to San Diego. Our heaviest case concentrations are in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. I’ve written extensively about what we do. My book, The Wolf at the Door, has been widely reviewed in newspapers, magazines, and the electronic media. Ben Franklin said, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” I think that The Wolf at the Door is worth reading. I also think that the actions we take for families in estate, trust, and elder financial abuse litigation are worth doing. Litigation is war. There are battle[...]

Bigfoot has become more important in our family’s life. It now seems amazing that we ignored him and his escapades for so many years. Our four-year-old grandson, Andrew, changed all that. He discovered Bigfoot this year. It wasn’t done in the wild forests of Alaska or Northern Georgia. It happened at home. On an iPhone. With his “Mimaw” providing a YouTube guide to Bigfoot. I’m not sure about the order of sightings. Alaska, British Columbia, Georgia. Again, I’m not sure. Whatever its beginning, we’re now firmly planted in its mystery. We even have a prominently placed bright yellow backyard sign that meets visitors with the customary caution: “WARNING – BIGFOOT AREA – STAY ON MARKED TRAILS.” Andrew can now [...]

I’m Mike Hackard of Hackard Law. We work at being one of California’s leading estate and trust litigation law firms. This work often involves contingency fees. In a typical contingency fee agreement, the plaintiff is only responsible for paying their attorney if they settle or win the case. California law requires that the contingency fee rate be agreed upon. The law also requires disclosure on how case disbursements and costs will affect the contingency fee and the client’s recovery. I’ve represented thousands of clients over my 45-year legal career – many of them on a contingency fee basis. Contingency fees don’t fit every circumstance. But they are commonplace in personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Many of[...]

Hi, I’m Stephanie at Hackard Law. Our Sony ZV-1 Camera Giveaway is now complete, and we are happy to announce the winner: contestant Don Hoang was selected by our random comment picker software to receive the prize, a brand-new Sony ZV-1 video camera, perfect for content creators! Congratulations to Don, and remember that you have 72 hours from the time we contact you to claim your prize. Don’s favorite content creator is Potato Jet! He loves how informative he is on cameras. Also, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of you who participated for your likes, comments and shares. We appreciate you, since you guys make these possible! And – stay on the lookout for upcoming new contests. Before long we’ll have another awesom[...]

I’m Mike Hackard of Hackard Law. I’ve recently recommended the excellent Netflix movie, I Care A Lot. The movie is, in one sense, two films. The first – a story of betrayal. It starts with a court appointed conservator’s knock on a wealthy woman’s door. The woman, an elder, opens the door to what turns out to be a licensed predator. A scheme unfolds, stage by stage, calculated and timed, that takes the elder’s freedom and money from her. She is soon far removed from the protection of law and justice. The second part of the story evolves into a dark comedy. The film explores the murky side of the for-profit guardianship/conservatorship industry. A significant number of American families have suffered from the industry’[...]

I’m Mike Hackard with Hackard Law. Our YouTube channel is now five years old. It has more than 670 videos. More than 2 million views. Almost 5000 subscribers. How do we keep it fresh? It’s easy. Apply real-life experiences. Listen to callers’ questions. Tell stories that we want to tell. This is story that I want to tell: “Playing the Part Well.” When I take a case, I want “to play the part well.” The advocacy part. The excellence part. The moral part. People come to us with estate and trust cases. Some simple. Some readily solved. Some complex. I’m more likely to be involved in the complex. There are three main parts to every case: the facts, the law, and the proof. Each element is challenging.  Facts might be [...]

Hi, I’m Stephanie at Hackard Law. We’re already into April, and it’s time to change things up!  This time around we are giving away an incredible camera – the Sony ZV-1, the top camera for content creators. It’s got special features like product showcase setting, background defocus, soft skin effect, and face-priority autoexposure. The Sony ZV-1 is a great choice if you want to film yourself playing your favorite song on your guitar, doing a fitness routine, giving a tutorial, or just telling your story. Want to enter for a chance to win? The basic rules for the contest are simple. First step, leave a comment below. Who is your favorite content creator or channel? It could be anyone! Maybe a musician, gamer, fitness expert, ar[...]