Hood Elder Law Lawyers

I began my legal career in general civil litigation in Sacramento focusing on real estate, business and employment law. I shifted focus to the areas of estate planning, trust and probate administration, opening LifePath Law in late 2006. My practice evolved to include litigation regarding trusts and estates, such as will contests, financial elder abuse, care custodian issues, and trustee fiduciary duties.

Michael A. Hackard. Michael A. Hackard is the principal attorney of Hackard Law Corporation - a Sacramento, California firm which represents wealthy families with extensive business interests as well as clients impoverished by the wrongdoing of others. Michael and his attorneys are dedicated to clients.

Hackard Law attorneys focus on trust and estate litigation, fiduciary litigation, will contests, trust contests, elder financial abuse, trust decanting, trust beneficiary rights, trustee removal, special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, title to assets, family business trusts, dynasty trusts, domestic asset preservation trusts and asset protection.

Zachary Rayo brings experience, efficiency and empathy to estate planning. Mr. Rayo’s approach is people-centered. He recognizes that the legal needs and special issues differ from client to client, that each person is unique, with unique needs that must be met with efficiency, active listening and care. Mr. Rayo knows the importance of social responsibility which manifests not only in ethical decisions and practices but also in involvement in socially important causes.

Andrew Nef is an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Department. He is a member of the California State Bar, Sacramento County Bar Association, and California Lawyer’s Association. Andrew grew up wanting to be an attorney, dawning a suit and briefcase at the early age of 8 to dress up as one for Halloween. Andrew grew up in Fresno and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from California State University, Fresno. While studying law at the University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law, Andrew discovered his desire for helping people establish and administer their personal legacies through estate planning. Andrew...

A graduate of McGeorge School of Law, Daniel A. Hunt is lead attorney and owner of the Law Offices of Daniel A. Hunt. He is a State Bar of California Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law.

Mr. Hunt is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Sacramento Estate Planning Council. He has served as President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Probate and Estates section of the Sacramento County Bar Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento County Bar Association.

Mr. Hunt lectures widely on estate planning topics,...

Matthew Crider formed Crider Law Group so he could help individuals and business owners by providing creative solutions and be their trusted advisor and legal counselor. Matthew provides services in the areas of estate planning, family law, and business advisory services. Matthew’s estate planning practice focuses on personalized estate planning and administration for individuals, couples and families, and includes wills, revocable living trusts, family business entity planning, and co-tenancy arrangements. His family law practice focuses on assisting families in a dissolution matters, including divorce, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and parental rights. ...

Born in Michigan, Michael J. Anderson graduated from Michigan State University with his Bachelor of Science degree. He then graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, earning his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, followed by an LL.M. in Estate Planning from the University of Miami. In 1982, Mr. Anderson was admitted to the California State Bar and established his Sacramento estate planning practice shortly thereafter. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Anderson served as an Adjunct Professor with Golden Gate University in the MBA Taxation Program, for courses such as Estate & Gift Taxation and Estate Planning. Mr. Anderson is also...

Timothy P. Murphy is an estate planning and elder law attorney whose practice emphasizes helping people to build, preserve and pass on their wealth. He works with his clients to accomplish their goals while avoiding unnecessary court proceedings and minimizing or eliminating exposure to death taxes. Tim has practiced law in the Sacramento area since 1982, first with a large firm, and then with his own firm since 1987.

Tim is one of only a handful of attorneys in the Greater Sacramento Area accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans with their benefits claims.

Mr. Murphy and...

Drew Widders graduated college in Southern California with a degree in political science and a minor in health and life science. He moved to Sacramento in 2003 to attend the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific. After graduating in 2006, he obtained his license to practice law and has since been working under the guidance and expertise of senior partner Daniel E. Wilcoxen.

Mr. Widders has worked with Mr. Wilcoxen on several complex cases, including a personal injury fire case in May 2012 for a recovery of $2.8 million. Mr. Wilcoxen and Mr. Widders also specialize in...

Dustin MacFarlane is an estate planning and elder law attorney with a unique background which makes him uniquely qualified to serve his clients. Prior to entering practice as an attorney in Sacramento, Dustin began his career in the long-term care industry, working with skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout the Central Valley and Northern California. He takes pride in the work he does in helping families provide for and protect their loved ones. Outside of his work at the firm, Dustin also hosts a weekly show on Talk 650 KSTE and is actively involved with several community organizations.

Matthew focuses on elder law, estate planning, and related practice areas. He began his career in the field of trusts and estates, and expanded into elder and probate law. He quickly realized that he enjoyed the personal nature of working in estate and elder law, and chose to continue by opening his own firm. He is passionate about taking care of his clients, and treats each of them as if they were family. Matthew was admitted to the California bar in 2006 and has practiced law in Contra Costa Country since 2006. He earned his J.D. at...

My approach to practicing law is to make it as stress-free as possible for my clients. That means that I have created an environment where working with my firm is understandable, approachable and pleasant. I have been practicing law for approximately 15 years and my area of specialization is estate planning, which includes the drafting of wills, trusts and also handling probate matters. As mentioned previously, taking care of my clients is my top priority, and as such, I charge a flat fee for nearly all of the clients that I work with. We do not...

Konstantine "Kosta" Demiris is a partner at the law firm of Demiris & Moore, located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, in the center of Contra Costa County. His practice focuses on litigation involving elder abuse (financial and physical), will and trust litigation, conservatorships, guardianships, HOA's, and appeals. Kosta is actively involved in the Contra Costa County legal community. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Elder Law Section. He serves as court-appointed counsel in Conservatorship cases in Contra Costa County. Kosta is dedicated to helping...

Jackie Marie Howard, Attorney At Law, devotes her practice to trusts, wills, powers of attorney, probate and trust administration. Jackie has over 27 years of experience in estate planning, trusts and probates. Jackie provides compassionate representation for her clients. Jackie Marie Howard, Attorney At Law, is located in Placer County, which is where Jackie grew up. Jackie started her estate law practice in 1999 in Roseville, California. Contact Jackie for your private, complimentary consultation today!

Local Estate Elder Law Planning Attorney
Long term Pleasant Hill resident, Jeffrey Hall, didn’t follow the traditional path to the practice of law. Indeed, attorney Hall grew up in central Los Angeles, and in a time when there was no expectation that he would attend college; and law school was simply not an option. However, after completing his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Saint Mary’s College, he volunteered with the Air Force in 1981 and served for 9 years, both reserve and active. Upon returning to California, he and his wife made Pleasant Hill their home and have...

Michael J. Young is an Estate, Probate and Asset Protection Attorney in Walnut Creek, CA. Mr. Young helps his clients plan for not only "What Happens if You Die", but for "What Happens If You Don't Die And Become Ill and Need Care." He helps his clients in the design of their estate plans, to protect their assets for their senior care and to also provide a legacy for their loved ones.

Mr. Young, who has been in practice for over forty years, gives workshops every month in Walnut Creek on basic estate planning and advanced estate planning. The basic...

Member of California and Federal Bar. Managing partner, current practice involves civil litigation, personal injury litigation for plaintiffs, defense, Probate, Consumer law, Family Law. As an Attorney, I am quite proficient in pleading and practice procedure, legal research in the library, web and computer, judicial procedure and rules of evidence. I have tried over a 200 court and jury trials. I have arbitrated and mediated over 500 cases. I have had experience with Superior, Appeals and Federal courts. I am a hearing officer for the City of Stockton and County of San Joaquin and a Pro...

You’ve spent your life building your wealth. And no matter how large or how modest – protecting your assets matters. Ivette Santaella understands that estate planning may seem daunting. You might feel uncomfortable talking about what happens after death. Or maybe you’re worried that you don’t understand the laws well enough. Santaella Law Group, APC is here to guide you through your concerns and make estate planning easy. Ivette has more than 30 years of experience talking her clients through their goals, translating and helping them navigate the law, and working with them to come up with a solid plan for...

Ms. Benedetto has assisted hundreds of clients with the creation of their Wills, Living Trusts and other estate planning documents. She assists families with trust administration and probate procedures when loved ones pass away, and also prepares legal documents for conservatorships of elderly clients and limited conservatorships for developmentally disabled adults. In 2006, Ms. Benedetto created the Family Trust Law Center, later incorporated to Family TLC, Inc., to be a firm where families come for professional estate planning by licensed attorneys, at flat, reasonable fees. Amendment of documents and other hourly work is done as...

As an estate planning and litigating attorney my job is to help my clients gain clarity and an sense of peace by providing them with asset protection now and in the future. I work with clients to tailor plans that accomplish their goals and leave nothing to chance. Protecting their assets and your children’s inheritance from lawsuits and predators is only the beginning. Where there’s an inheritance, there will be predators. More than half of my practice is litigation, protecting heirs whose benefactors neglected to properly plan and protect their estates and their loved ones from...

OLIVER GREENWOOD is the principal of the Law Offices of Oliver Greenwood in Pleasant Hill. He is the author of chapters 1, 4, 12, 16, and 17 in the CEB Guardianship Handbook. Mr. Greenwood received his B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. A frequent speaker regarding probate matters and a member of the Judicial Council's Probate & Mental Health Advisory Committee. Mr. Greenwood is also a contributing author to CEB's conservatorship and powers of attorney and health care directives books. Mr. Greenwood's areas of practice include conservatorships, guardianships,...

I am an attorney at the Law Offices of Daniel A. Hunt, focusing on Trust & Estate Litigation. I was born in Israel and came to the United States in 2002. I am fluent in both English and Russian. I ultimately moved to the Sacramento area and went to Folsom High School before earning my undergraduate degree in psychology from CSU Sacramento. I then pursued and earned a Juris Doctorate with distinction from McGeorge School of Law. Following graduation, I became a deputy district attorney who handled all facets of criminal prosecution such as domestic violence, driving under the influence, and...

Attorney Anthony G. Celaya has been practicing law in the Napa Valley since 2004. Specializing exclusively in estate planning, he has created hundreds of estate plans for a wide variety of clientele. Anthony received his Juris Doctorate from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1999. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and returned shortly after graduation with his wife and young family. He is now a father of six and knows personally the importance of estate and family legacy planning. He is the owner and founder of Celaya Law,...

At the Chubb Law Firm we help modern families create customized modern estate plans. We’re passionate about our work and know how important it is to develop and implement a plan that takes care of you and your loved ones at all stages of your life. In addition to "traditional" probate avoidance trust planning, we focus our practice on the unique planning needs of persons with disabilities (beyond the Special Needs Trust) as well as helping families navigate the difficult and overwhelming emotional, familial, medical and legal realities of aging (including planning to access Medi-Cal and Veterans Administration...

Joan Medeiros devotes her Sacramento legal practice to estate planning, Medi-Cal and VA planning, elder law, Special Needs Planning, and probate. Her primary focus is protecting individuals and families from the confusing and devastating legal effects of failing to plan for death and disability. Through proper estate planning, such as wills, trusts, special needs trusts, Medi-Cal and Veterans Benefits planning, and elder life planning, her clients can protect their assets from the unnecessary expense and delay of court proceedings and unwanted government and administrative oversight. Raised on a dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley, Joan graduated from the...

Thomas D. Reid received his Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. Prior to his law school career, he studied Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada in Reno, Nevada. Tom is currently licensed to practice law in California and Oregon. He is an active member of the American Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, the University of Nevada Alumni Association, and the Oregon and California State Bars. He served as the Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and is currently a past President of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the...

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25 years representing Bay Area Families in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, probate, and estate litigation. Her unique blend of experience as a litigator and estate planning attorney, provides her with the ability to effectively manage all aspects of family wealth planning. She has been involved with the preparation and trial of hundreds of cases, representing Fortune 500 companies, individuals, and fiduciaries. In addition, she has extensive experience advising clients in creating estate plans to meet family and philanthropic goals.

Having come to law as a second career, I bring a broad perspective to client needs. I am honored to work with a wide range of single people and families to create estate plans that will achieve the goals that are important to them, and do everything possible to avoid the problems they are concerned about.

Whether you want to craft a plan that will avoid fighting among a blended family, protect your disabled child with a special needs trust, or pass your assets to your favorite charities, we will work together to plan and implement your ideal estate plan.

Peter has over forty years of litigation experience. He handles all types of cases involving Trusts,Wills, Probate, Elder Financial Abuse and Conservatorships. Peter's practice, also, includes Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Juvenile Law and Child Dependency. Peter is a member of the California and Nevada State Bar, as well as the US Supreme Court Bar. Peter was a former Public Defender in Sacramento County who successfully handled many high-profile cases. Peter is well known in the local Judicial Districts and aggressively advances his client's interests.

Tracy is the award-winning principal attorney and president of Seasons Law P.C. Tracy combines her years of legal experience with compassion and empathy to support clients through the “seasons” of their professional and personal lives. Seasons Law P.C. offers estate planning and administration, trust administration, and probate services to our communities. Tracy is a 1994 graduate of the University of Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. Tracy regularly volunteers legal services and educational seminars in her community. In 2015, she was awarded “Placer County Pro Bono Attorney” by the Placer County Bar Association. She served two terms as a...

Elder Abuse Attorney in Sacramento

Laura practices almost exclusively in the field of estate planning, trust and probate law. She counsels individuals and families in establishing estate plans geared toward each unique situation, working with her clients to customize each family’s plan. She also handles routine trust and probate administrations, walking families through the complex realm of estate administration after a loved one’s death. Laura regularly handles litigated trust and estate matters, including will contests, claims against fiduciaries, and property ownership disputes. She also represents injured individuals in personal injury matters.

Laura is dedicated to earning the trust and confidence of her...