Chris M. Bradford

I believe that you, the client, first need to UNDERSTAND all your options. My first job is to educate you so you can make your own informed intelligent decisions. My law practice is based on this fundamental principle.

• Child Support
• Child Custody and Visitation

• Free Consultation
  No charge for first interview on the phone or Zoom up to 60 minutes max. After that it is $50 for each 30 minutes, payable in advance.
• Credit Cards Accepted
  I accept credit cards through Pay Pal. You do not need a Pay Pal account. I send you the Pay Pal link and you put in your credit card. I never see your credit card information. You can also pay on Venmo, $CashApp and Zelle.
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  For consultation only (which means no representation in court and no document preparation) my fee is $100 per hour on the phone or Zoom, $50 for 30 minutes, payable in advance. I also prepare documents in both estate planning and in family law. Fees vary according to the document. I also represent family law clients under Limited Scope for a fixed fee.

California

Since 1981

Sole Practitioner

Law Office of Chris M. Bradford

1990 - Current

Antioch Coll

Undergraduate Degree

Univ of North Dakota School of Law

Law Degree

None

none

State Bar of California. State Bar #102561

Current

California State Bar  # 102561

Member

1981 - Current

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Q. Do I have the right to a copy of my deceased parents will of whom my brother has failed to give me?

July 17, 2020

A: A good place to get a copy of the death certificates is from the funeral home. They often get extra copies from the local health department as a courtesy to the family. Try that first.

Also the death certificates are public record. Here is a link to California Department of Public Health:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/pages/vital-records.aspx#:~:text=The%20California%20Department%20of%20Public,and%20divorce%20records%20for%20California.

As for the will, if a court procedure has been filed to determine the validity of the will, then there is a copy of the will in that court file. That is called probate. You can get copies at the courthouse. If a probate has not been filed yet, then there is no public record.

It's possible that your parents wrote a trust as well as wills. Trusts also divide up property at death. Your brother may also be in charge of the trust, as the trustee. If you are a beneficiary of a will or a trust or both you have a right to an accounting. Start with a snail mail letter to your brother: "Please send me a copy of the will and the trust and send me an accounting." Mail it and keep a copy. If your brother has an attorney, send a similar letter to him or her.

If your brother and/or his attorney are still uncooperative and won't give you copies of the will(s) trust or an accounting, then you will need to hire your own attorney to get this done. ... Read More

Q. If I am seeking to end a gaurdenship, but want a change of venue, can I ask for one?

July 17, 2020

A: You can challenge a judge but it has to be at the beginning of the case and your case has already been decided. Once a guardianship has been set up, you can make a motion for it to be terminated, but you have to have a good reason to do so. If a guardianship was ordered in Orange county, you have to go back to the same case number in Orange county to ask for the guardianship to be terminated. But Judges are often moved around by the chief judge so you may not get the same judge. But most importantly you have to have a strong reason to end the guardianship. I don't know the reasons in your case, but for example if you had a drug or alcohol problem, you would have to show that you don't have that problem any more. Whatever the reason was, you need to show the judge that that problem does not exist any more and that you have a good home for the children to come home to.

Take a look at the following link to the California courts for basic information on ending a guardianship:

https://www.courts.ca.gov/1213.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en. ... Read More

Q. My boyfriend is currently incapacitated by a stroke. I would like to get gardian ship

July 17, 2020

A: Are you in Chicago and your boyfriend too? if yes, you need an Illinois attorney, not a California attorney. This is the California section.

For an adult you need a conservatorship, instead of guardianship.

If you are in California, read this link:

https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-conservatorship.htm

All 58 counties in California have some type of Self-Help Center. The people at the Self-Help Center help you fill out family law forms for free. They can’t do everything in family law, but they will help you with all the basics. The downside is that they don’t have a lot of time to spend with you, and often there is a line to get in to see them. The upside is that it is free. So if you have more time than money, go to the Self-Help Center for divorce, custody, visitation, paternity and domestic violence paperwork. ... Read More