I’m Mike Hackard. I represented my first clients in estate litigation 45 years ago. Many things have changed over the years. Among them – the emergence, power and ubiquity of the for-profit “professional” guardianship/conservatorship industry. My review of the new Netflix movie I Care A Lot is from a litigator’s perspective. I like one movie reviewer, Helen Shaw’s, take on I Care A Lot. While the movie is one work, she sees it as two films in one. She calls the guardianship opening sequences the “first film.” Her description: “a horror film about the way we exploit and ignore the elderly, particularly frightening because it’s true … demonstrating how (Rosamund) Pike’s corporate-speak pseudo-compassion makes the[...]

I’m Mike Hackard with Hackard Law. Over many decades of law practice, I’ve had one goal – to build a plaintiff’s estate, trust and catastrophic injury firm that my own family would be proud to hire. Families across California, including the Bay Area, Sacramento and Los Angeles, hire us in estate, trust and catastrophic injury cases. They’ve seen our leadership, commitment to clients and record of legal excellence. Results matter. Reputation matters. There’s only one Hackard Law. Call us today at 916-313-3030. Hackard Law: Attorneys Making a Difference. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJzkejdjcng&ab_channel=HackardLaw[/embed]  [...]

I’m Mike Hackard of Hackard Law. We respond to more than one thousand inquiries each year from potential clients. We share knowledge, and we also learn a lot from these inquiries. Most questions concern estate, trust and elder financial abuse litigation. Other callers seek recovery for catastrophic, unexpected, and disastrous injuries caused by others. There are no dumb questions. We work to help, assist and advise. Not all inquiries turn into cases. Not all cases are accepted. Those that are accepted require a meeting of minds, compliance with ethical standards, and consensus on going forward. Today I’ll talk about a particular set of inquiries: Estate, trust and elder financial abuse. Knowledge of this area of law is not i[...]

California trust, estate & catastrophic injury litigation shifted dramatically in March 2020. Standard approaches to disputed case resolutions are put to the test. Trial dates settle cases. Covid impacts trial dates. Judges suspend, postpone, and defer 2020 trial dates into 2021. 2021 trial dates are now problematical. Our clients depend on us to advance their cases. We accept the challenge. When litigators are not in trial, they should be training for trial. The ultimate goal of trial training is to win cases. Continued training is a commitment to excellence. Continued training makes our adversary system of justice work. Continued training benefits our clients. New and existing clients deserve to kno[...]

I’m Mike Hackard. I’m part of a plaintiffs’ litigation law practice. This practice is rich in helping clients, neighbors and friends deal with overcoming the familiar barriers, challenges and trials of estate, trust, and catastrophic injury litigation. While there are many similar fact patterns, there are others less commonplace. This Christmas season brings a few of the less commonplace to mind. We all have our Holiday or Christmas reflections. Maybe rituals. Each year is different in some way. Each Christmas season, I’ve made it a point to reflect upon the life lessons from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I’ve read the book many times, seen it presented in plays, and watched several film versions of the story. It [...]

I’m Mike Hackard with Hackard Law. I’ve had one goal over many decades of law practice – build an estate, trust and catastrophic injury firm that my own family would want to hire. As a leading client-focused firm in Sacramento, we get hired by families in estate, trust and catastrophic injury disputes. Results matter. Reputation matters. There’s only one Hackard Law. Call us today at 916-313-3030. Hackard Law: Attorneys Making a Difference. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65T3kHQ14HE&ab_channel=HackardLaw[/embed][...]

I’m Mike Hackard. At 70, I count among America’s elderly. My work as a lawyer and author involves speaking out for the protection of the elderly. And it’s not just because I’m 70. It’s because I know that life is a gift – for young or old. Our culture often minimizes the value of our elders. When challenged - silence can be overwhelming. Pope Francis is a leading voice that challenges us to do better. He’s said that a society that doesn’t help and reach out to its elderly is “perverse.” A society that discards its elderly is one that “carries the virus of death.” This culture magnifies “the elderly’s anguish over being barely tolerated and abandoned.” At Hackard Law, we fight for the elderly in Califor[...]

I’m Mike Hackard of Hackard Law. California is my home and has been for all of my life. I went to college and law school here. We’ve raised our family here in Sacramento. It’s a privilege for me to serve the California community from our office right here in Sacramento County. I have an AV Preeminent Rating granted by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™. This rating is limited to an elite group of approximately 10 percent of all attorneys. And, I’ve earned this rating for decades. If you have a trust, estate, or financial elder abuse dispute, call us at 916 313-3030 or visit hackardlaw.com. You’ll get the understanding and experience of a local team and the power of a law firm that litigates for clients through[...]

Estate planning meltdowns touch many families. – small and large. Celebrity estate fights spotlight the mishaps of the rich and famous. But, far more common misfires hit the local probate court docket with little fanfare. Little fanfare does not mean little pain. Family members fighting to reverse unexpected transfers of a deceased family member’s assets feel deep wounds. These wounds may flow from betrayal, duplicity, even treachery. These are strong words. Do case facts mirror such words? Let’s look at one common scenario and see. Second-family disputes occupy their share of court dockets. We know that divorce is an American constant. Some 50% of marriages end in divorce. And, many divorced men and women remarry. Remarri[...]

“Nothing gained, much lost” describes lost opportunity. In our field of estate, trust, and elder financial abuse litigation, it can describe lawsuits gone wild. Most estate and trust litigants have not experienced the rigors of litigation. Once experienced, few would describe it as fun. They might describe it as a necessary choice. Undue influence on elders that results in estate, trust or elder financial abuse is often the lawsuit’s catalyst. Once started, lawsuits should not take on a life of their own. Civil litigation is designed to gain civil ends. Not to become life’s sole focus. The common end is the recovery of money or real property. And, the recovery is often following a pretrial settlement. Some 97% of all civil [...]