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2024

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Best Probate Lawyers in Fairfield

Our Recommended Top 18

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Fairfield Probate Lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

41Reviewed

31Curated

18Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

1652 West Texas Street, 2nd Floor, Fairfield, CA 94533

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (4)
Yelp
4.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Tenax Law Group PC assists estates with the probate process by advising their executors and doing administrative work. The firm manages assets and corresponds with creditors to satisfy remaining debts. It sees to it that assets left after paying creditors are given to the heirs in accordance with what the decedent desired in the will. Tenax Law Group PC can also create and manage trusts and design estate plans for individuals and families.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
John Schilt - OwnerActive22 yrs

2300 Boynton Ave., Suite 104, Fairfield, CA 94533

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
4.0 (14)
Google
4.4 (12)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of David W. Knight can work for those who need a probate attorney in Fairfield to handle a loved one's estate. This firm has multifaceted experience with probate processes and give clients the information and resources they need to avoid obstacles and conduct a legally legitimate process. Its primary concern is moving assets of each estate into the hands of heirs by following the will, which it must often prove the validity of.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
David Knight - PrincipalActive26 yrs

1851 Heritage Ln Suite 128, Sacramento, CA 95815

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (190)

Why choose this provider?

California Probate and Trust, PC, represents elders and families in the Fairfield metro. The firm assists clients in a wide range of probate-related concerns, including debt, financial problems, tax disputes, and will validity. It handles various aspects of probate, such as asset inventory, property distribution, and settlement of debt and taxes left by the decedent. The firm's founder, R. Dustin MacFarlane, serves as a volunteer attorney for the Alzheimer's Association, He is also an associate member of the California Assisted Living Association.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

1652 W. Texas Street, Suite 128, Fairfield, CA 94533
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.0 (12)
Facebook
5.0 (10)
Yelp
3.7 (3)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Robert Jeff Busch caters to clients in Fairfield. The firm walks clients through the probate process and counsels them on issues related to trust administration. It also works on estate planning documents like trusts, powers of attorney, and wills. The firm additionally takes on family law cases and represents clients in mediation proceedings over disputes involving child custody and spousal support. Its primary attorney, Robert Jeff Busch, offers special programs for healthcare professionals, veterans, and teachers.

  • Estate Planning

952 School Street, Napa, CA 94559
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (15)
Facebook
5.0 (10)
Yelp
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Nancy Rose Law PC handles probate cases for clients residing in the Fairfield area. Nancy Rose assists the bereaved family by proving the validity of the deceased person's will in court, gathering the assets, settling the liabilities, and distributing the remaining properties as the will directs. She also provides estate planning and trust administration services for individuals who are preparing for the inevitable. Her expertise in navigating different family dynamics stems from her experience as an award-winning author, speaker, and parent educator.

  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Nancy Rose - PrincipalActive44 yrs
Nancy Rose - PrincipalActive44 yrs

3150 Hilltop Mall Road , CA, Richmond, CA 94806
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.7 (26)

Why choose this provider?

Sara R. Diamond Ph.D. Attorney at Law handles probate matters and estate planning in the Fairfield metro. She assists her clients in creating a plan with a trust that allows them to avoid probate and the fees and taxes that come with it. She also helps in the creation of advanced health care directives, backup wills, and durable powers of attorney for financial management. Diamond, an author and a former investigative journalist, has a collection of her published books on the U.S. Right at UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Sara Diamond - PrincipalActive21 yrs

1411 Oliver Road, Fairfield, CA 94534

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.2 (13)
Yelp
5.0 (3)
Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Founded in 2015, Reynolds Law LLP is a legal practice representing clients in business and estate matters. The attorney in Fairfield helps administrators and executors navigate the probate process, including petitioning the court to open a case, notifying creditors, locating heirs, completing income and estate taxes, paying the estate's bills, and providing a full accounting of finances before distributing the remaining assets. Reynolds Law LLP also handles estate litigation and trust and tax cases.

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Scott Reynolds - Managing Partner / Managing ShareholderActive48 yrs

315 Noe St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (32)

Why choose this provider?

Michael Blacksburg is a local law firm catering to individuals and families in Fairfield. It focuses on estate planning, including probate and will-based planning. It also handles trust-based planning and family wealth and legacy planning. One of its attorneys, Terrance Heath, has been in practice since 1996, with experience in probate and trust litigation and a focus on LGBTQ+ clients and their families. He is a Family Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

2025 Redwood Rd #5, Napa, CA 94558
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (9)

Why choose this provider?

Manfred & Hunt, LLP, caters to individuals and families in Fairfield and neighboring areas. It takes on a customized approach to probate cases by drafting revocable living trusts, designating beneficiaries, and using deeds. The firm also assists in preparing essential documents in estate planning and distributing trust funds. Throughout the years, the firm's co-founder, Mike Manfred, has conducted various presentations and prepared materials for the Continuing Education of the Bar in estate planning and trust administration fields.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

1355 Willow Way Suite 110, Concord, CA 94520
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.8 (18)
Facebook
5.0 (15)
Yelp
4.7 (15)

Why choose this provider?

The Mullin Law Firm serves clients in Fairfield and its surrounding areas. Founder Ronald K. Mullin has over 40 years of legal experience. He assists individuals and families in matters involving probate and estate administration, such as wills and conservatorships. He also helps clients with living trusts, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. His other areas of practice include mediation and arbitration. Mullin also worked as a police officer in Concord for seven years.

  • Estate Planning
  • Probate
  • Estate Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Ronald Mullin - PrincipalActive46 yrs

3432 Hillcrest Ave., Suite 125, Antioch, CA 94531

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.7 (22)
Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Matthew M. Hart, Attorney at Law, helps clients in Fairfield manage their estates and prepare for incapacity or death. Principal Matthew Hart is a certified legal specialist in the area of estate law and guides personal representatives and beneficiaries through the probate process. Hart creates wills, trusts, advanced health care directives, and durable powers of attorney to help clients protect their assets for future generations. The legal practice aims to provide estate planning services that incorporate faith-based principles.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

1855 Olympic Boulevard Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (22)
Yelp
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Feldman Law Group is a law firm serving the community of Fairfield. With over 35 years of experience, the firm helps clients with a wide range of legal needs, from probate, estate planning, and conservatorship to trust litigation and elder law. The founding attorney, Aaron Feldman, has a unique focus on special needs planning serving people with mental and physical limitations. Feldman is also a certified mediator and a member of the American Society of Special Needs Planners.

  • Estate Planning
  • Probate

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Aaron Feldman - Founding AttorneyActive42 yrs

1600 S. Main Street, Suite 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
4.5 (20)
Facebook
5.0 (9)
Google
4.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Joan Grimes provides estate planning and probate services to clients in Fairfield. It helps craft comprehensive estate plans customized according to individuals' and familys' needs. It handles the creation of wills, revocable and irrevocable living trusts, advance health care directives, and powers of attorney. It offers legal representation throughout the probate of any size or complexity of estate and trust administration. Firm attorney Joan Grimes has over 30 years of legal experience. She is the Northern California Bankruptcy Forum president.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Joan Grimes - PrincipalActive39 yrs

78 Cernon St, Vacaville, CA 95688
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.2 (5)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Yvonne F. Thrasher, LL.M., is an estate planning office that caters to clients in and around Fairfield. It assists beneficiaries in the probate process for both formal and informal transfers of property and assets. The firm defends its clients against claims of a decedent's will, such as invalidity or tampering. It can then assist appointed executors in compiling and distributing assets amongst named heirs and partners. The office's practitioner, Yvonne Thrasher, is a member of the Soroptimist International of Vacaville.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Yvonne Thrasher - PrincipalActive16 yrs

2890 N. Main Street, Suite 206, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.8 (21)
Facebook
5.0 (5)

Why choose this provider?

Since its founding in 1997, Absolute Trust Counsel has focused its practice on California estate law. It works with families in Fairfield and the surrounding communities whose estates are required to undergo the probate court system. Its legal team, led by former business lawyer Kirsten Howe, also helps clients administer their deceased loved ones' trusts that involve business holdings. Additionally, the firm assists people with Medi-Cal and special needs planning. Howe serves on the Board of Directors of the Estate Planning Council Diablo Valley.

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Kirsten Howe - Founder and Managing PartnerActive37 yrs

700 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 199, Larkspur, CA 94939
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (7)
Yelp
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Matthew W. Harris provides probate assistance to personal representatives and families in Fairfield. He helps clients fulfill their duties in both testate and intestate probate, including filing the will in court, collecting the decedent's assets, paying fees, and informing government agencies and creditors of the death. He mediates estate disputes between representatives and beneficiaries. Harris also facilitates the preservation of legacies through estate planning, conservatorship, trust administration, and elder law. He serves on the Probate, Estate Planning, and Trust Committee of the American Bar Association.

  • Estate Planning

2180 Jefferson Street, Suite 201, Napa, CA 94559
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (9)
Yelp
5.0 (3)
Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Ronda L. Connor, Attorney at Law handles estate planning cases, including matters of probate, for clients in Fairfield. The firm educates first-time beneficiaries and executors about the probate process. It guides clients in petitions and authentication hearings before helping them distribute a decedent's assets. It also represents them against claims of fiduciary irresponsibility, which include will tampering and unfair distribution. Ronda L. Connor previously worked in tax accounting before she entered law practice in 2004. Her other areas of expertise include landlord-tenant law and bankruptcy.

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Ronda Connor - PrincipalActive20 yrs

9719 Lincoln Village Drive Suite 504, Sacramento, CA 95827

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (44)
Yelp
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

James L. Arrasmith, Attorney at Law, addresses the needs of individuals and families facing legal issues. Arrasmith is a Sacramento-based attorney that extends his services to those in Fairfield and the surrounding communities, providing probate administration, personal injury, business law, and asset protection representation. He works with clients throughout the probate process, from filing the petition with the court to distributing the decedent's assets. His mission is to facilitate clients in attaining their desired case outcomes while making his services accessible to those in need.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
James Arrasmith - PrincipalActive3 yrs

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services with Expertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

FAQs

  • What is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Fairfield, California?

    The Fairfield Police Department can be contacted at (707) 428-7300 for non-emergencies.

  • Where can one file a petition for probate in Fairfield?

    Individuals looking to file a petition for probate in Fairfield should submit their petition to the Solano Superior Court. This court serves as the registered probate court for the area, dealing with all matters related to probate. As the court's schedule can be busy, making a phone call beforehand is suggested to understand if an appointment is needed to file the petition.

  • Do individuals who recently relocated to Fairfield need to reevaluate their existing estate planning documents?

    Yes, it's crucial. Upon settling in Fairfield, one should reassess previously established estate planning documents due to potential variances in state law. Although the disparity rarely invalidates the entire document, it might introduce complications, especially if the new state's interpretation of marital assets differs from the former. It's recommended to consult a Fairfield-based lawyer to ensure your documents align with the local regulations.

  • How can a surviving spouse in Fairfield legally obtain property from their late partner's estate without extensive probate proceedings?

    If a deceased person in Fairfield leaves a property, the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner can file a Spousal Property Petition. This California-specific process involves submitting a detailed form describing the property and its intended disposition. A copy should be attached if a valid will or agreement is in place. A court hearing will be scheduled where a judge decides on the petition's approval, thus streamlining traditional probate steps.

  • What are the benefits and potential downsides of creating a living trust for estate planning in Fairfield?

    In Fairfield, living trusts are a practical choice for estate planning due to their flexibility and control offered over assets. Benefits include bypassing the probate process, ensuring financial privacy, segregating assets, and minimizing estate conflicts. However, the process requires thoughtful planning and maintenance. Also, be aware that living trusts are vulnerable to creditor claims and don't offer tax advantages.

  • What are the benefits of having a will in Fairfield?

    A will in Fairfield provides a plethora of benefits. It prevents automatic asset distribution under intestacy laws and allows for preferred guardian nomination for minors. It offers a probate bond waiver, enables the selection of a reliable executor, and facilitates special gifts to chosen individuals. It also prevents unnecessary estate expenses during probate, lets you defer minor inheritances, and can lead to tax savings through trust creation. Lastly, the peace of mind it brings is invaluable.