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Best Probate Lawyers in San Mateo

2023

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Website
411 Borel Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Living Trust
  • Trust Administration
  • Estate Settlement

Why choose this provider?

Michael S. Boerio, Attorney at Law, is a probate lawyer in San Mateo. Since 1980, Michael has had extensive experience in estate planning and trust administration, estate tax, and family law. Boerio is also a certified public accountant (CPA) and uses his experience to guide his clients in income analysis. Boerio is an expert in cash tracing and the characterization of stock equity. His mission is to give quality services to his clients.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Ernest Krause - Principal50 yrs
Peter Weinman - Principal22 yrs
Michael Boerio - Principal45 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
951 Mariners Island Boulevard, Suite 300, San Mateo, CA 94404
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Inheritance Taxes
  • Estate Taxes
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate Litigation

Why choose this provider?

Trusted Law Corporation is a full-service law firm offering legal services to clients in the San Mateo area. Established in 2015, it focuses on estate planning, trust administration, trust litigation, and probate. The law firm has experienced attorneys who provide customized plans for families looking to safeguard the future of their loved ones. Its founder, Pamela C. Bobowski, is a former Fresno County Deputy District Attorney and worked with Fortune 500 companies.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Pamela Bobowski - CEO/ Owner20 yrs
Pamela Bobowski - Founder20 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (9)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (9)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (5)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1575 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA 94010
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Mark Gullotta offers estate planning, trust, and probate services in San Mateo. It helps in creating estate plans that clearly describe how decedents wish their assets to be managed. It guides executors in filing petitions in court and proving that wills are valid. Gullotta assists in the administration of estates and in resolving claims during probate. He recommends the creation of trusts to avoid probate Gullotta is the publisher of the "SEC’s Auditor Independence Rule: Missing the Boat on Independence."

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Mark Gullotta - Principal20 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.0
Yelp
3.7 / 5 (3)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1650 Borel Place, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Living Trust
  • Estate Taxes
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate Litigation
  • Estate Settlement

Why choose this provider?

Loew Law Group has estate planning attorneys in San Mateo who are committed to protecting and preserving the clients' estates and trusts. The legal team is well-versed in handling estate-related disputes such as will contests, trust validity, beneficiary disputes, fraudulent transfers, and more. Loew Law Group's practice areas are also focused on probate and trust administration and elder law, from filing estate tax returns to handling elder financial abuse and fraud cases.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Jeffrey Loew - Founding Attorney22 yrs
Jeffrey Loew - Founding Attorney22 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (9)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (2)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
4.5
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1601 Bayshore Hwy, Suite 314,, Burlingame, CA 94010
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

Tandoc Law, Corp. is an estate planning and probate firm that serves clients in San Mateo. It helps individuals and families avoid the probate process and protect their assets and wealth through proactive estate planning. Founding attorney Lisa D. Tandoc uses her analytical problem-solving and motion writing skills to defend the interests of her clients. Tandoc credits her desire to help people to the ideals she learned at a Jesuit Catholic school in San Francisco during her high school years.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Lisa Tandoc - Founder17 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.6
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (19)
Facebook
4.8 / 5 (8)
Google
5.0 / 5 (4)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1777 Borel Place, Suite 1000, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

Howie & Smith Law Offices serves San Mateo. It consults with individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations regarding various civil litigation needs, including probate administration. Its attorneys represent trustees, beneficiaries, heirs, and devisees in significant will contests and trust litigation. They also assist with trust and estate planning. The firm was founded by Robert G. "Skip" Howie in 1996. He is admitted to practice before the Federal District Courts for Northern and Central California, the Ninth Federal Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
950 Tower Lane Suite 925, Foster City, CA 94404
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

Laughlin Legal, PC is a law firm serving San Mateo and surrounding communities. It provides 24/7 virtual assistance to individuals who want to secure their families' futures and preserve their assets through estate planning. Its legal team conducts consultations to educate clients about different aspects such as gifting strategies, incapacity planning, and revocable and irrevocable trusts. The firm also handles cases involving domestic violence and international family law. Services are available in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Amy Laughlin - Founding & Managing Partner30 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.8
Google
4.8 / 5 (23)
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
19925 Stevens Creek Blvd., Ste. 100, Cupertino, CA 95014
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Doron Ohel caters to San Mateo residents who have inheritance law needs. The firm handles estate planning tasks and prepares powers of attorney to maintain continuity in a decedent's affairs in the event of physical incapacity. It crafts last wills and testaments and constitutes trusts to preserve inheritable assets. The practice also prepares advance healthcare directives and schedules of assets. Doron Ohel has handled estate planning jobs for domestic and international clients.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.6
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (13)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
3.8
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
––

Website
66 Bovet Road, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate

Why choose this provider?

Since 1985, Allen Baker Stephan, PC, has been representing clients in San Mateo and neighboring areas in various legal matters. One of its services is estate planning assistance in preparing wills, trusts, advance health care directives, and durable powers of attorney. Its lawyers also represent beneficiaries and executors in cases where probate or estate administration is needed. Assaad M. Stephan, a partner in the firm who handles estate planning and trust administration, is fluent in English and Arabic.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Michael Allen - President / Founding Partner45 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (3)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
700 El Camino Real, Suite 201, Millbrae, CA 94030
  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate
  • Estate Administration

Why choose this provider?

Pollak Law, LLP offers legal guidance and representation in probate matters to the locals of San Mateo and other surrounding areas. It assists its clients in filing a petition with the proper probate court, paying estate debt to rightful creditors, selling estate assets, notifying heirs or beneficiaries under the will, and petitioning to appoint an executor or an administrator for the estate. Partners Steven L. Pollak and Corey M. Pollak are continuing the operation of a firm founded in 1979.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Corey Pollak - Partner10 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.9
Google
5.0 / 5 (14)
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (3)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
865 Laurel Street, Suite 4, San Carlos, CA 94070
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

Falk Cornell & Associates LLP is a law firm that has been catering to clients in San Mateo and the surrounding areas since 1997. It offers a wide array of services, including probate, asset protection and business planning, and trust administration. It also provides estate planning, which is accomplished through methods such as beneficiary designations, joint ownership, lifetime giving, and revocable living trusts. Falk Cornell & Associates LLP deals with incapacity, IRA and retirement, pet, and special needs planning.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Mary Falk - Principal35 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.8
Google
5.0 / 5 (3)
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (3)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1900 S. Norfolk St. Suite 350, San Mateo, CA 94403
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Gretchen J. Kenney in San Mateo primarily offers representation and legal advice in estate planning and probate matters. Gretchen Kenney and her staff assist individuals and families create estate plans utilizing legal devices like irrevocable life insurance trusts to facilitate the distribution of assets following death or incapacity and minimize estate taxes. They also guide families through the probate process, from filing the initial court petition to cataloging and distributing the estate's taxes. Kenney is a member of the Trusts and Estates Sections of the California State Bar Association.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (1)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
181 Second Avenue Suite 625, San Mateo, CA 94401
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate

Why choose this provider?

Thirkell Law Group is a legal practice serving individuals and families in San Mateo. With nearly 70 years of combined experience, the firm's attorneys counsel executors or trustees through the probate process. Their services include filing court documents, collecting and inventorying assets, paying taxes, and finding beneficiaries. They also represent clients in will contests or disputes when necessary. The firm's principal attorney, Edward Thirkell, served as a prosecutor in the US Army and the Deputy District Attorney of San Mateo County for five years.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Edward Thirkell - Principal53 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.0
Google
4.0 / 5 (4)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
177 Bovet Road, 6th Floor, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Probate Litigation

Why choose this provider?

McGlashan & Sarrail is a law firm that serves individuals and businesses throughout San Mateo and its neighboring communities. This practice provides representation for trustees, beneficiaries, fiduciaries, and third parties in legal matters involving probate and trusts. It also handles real estate disputes, property damage claims, insurance disputes, and construction disputes. Its team comprises litigation attorneys with a collective industry experience of over 40 years. William A. Bauld, principal of the firm, serves on the board of directors of the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (1)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
3.8
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
––

Website
1528 S. El Camino Real, #306, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of V. Winnie Tungpagasit handles probate issues for clients in San Mateo and the surrounding areas. The firm provides legal assistance to families and individuals throughout the entire administrative procedure, from the filing of the preliminary paperwork in order to commence the probate process to the complete closing of the estate. Tungpagasit is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate with the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She also speaks Thai and Chinese, both Mandarin and Cantonese.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (22)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1528 S El Camino Real Ste 306, San Mateo, CA 94402
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate
  • Estate Administration

Why choose this provider?

Finkelstein & Fujii LLP handles the probate and estate planning matters of clients in San Mateo and the surrounding. It offers probate and estate administration services to help individuals distribute the assets of their deceased loved ones. Finkelstein & Fujii LLP also caters to clients needing assistance or advice with arbitration and mediation, franchise law, business entity disputes, and business transactions. The law firm's founder and senior partner, David G. Finkelstein, focuses on cases on estate, commercial, and business law.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
David Finkelstein - Founder and Senior Partner52 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.3
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (14)
Yelp
3.5 / 5 (12)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
3705 Haven Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Why choose this provider?

Carmen Rosas Law protects the legacies of multicultural families and entrepreneurs through estate planning. It helps clients in San Mateo set up living trusts to avoid probate. It also assists in drafting wills, financial and medical powers of attorney, HIPAA waivers, and memorial and remembrance instructions. In addition, the firm conserves business legacies through entity formation and trademarking. Its founder, Carmen Rosas, has worked with prominent Bay Area law firms and volunteered with the Pro Bono Project of Silicon Valley.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Carmen Rosas - Founder & Attorney11 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (11)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

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 withExpertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    (650) 522-7700 is the San Mateo Police Department's non-emergency line.

  • Why is it necessary for estates to undergo probate procedures in San Mateo?

    Estates have to undergo probate procedures in San Mateo before any transfer of the assets to the heirs and legatees may occur. The state's policy is to prevent the diminution of an estate before the government's taxes and creditors' dues have been paid off. The court also takes steps to give each beneficiary the proper share and prevent confusion.

  • In San Mateo, does the beneficiary of a life insurance policy have to join the probate process before receiving the proceeds?

    No, the beneficiary of a life insurance policy does not need to join the probate process in San Mateo to receive the proceeds. These payouts do not form part of the decedent's estate and are not subject to court inheritance procedures. The assets pass on by operation of law and contract automatically.

  • What are the reasons why wills in San Mateo are contested?

    Wills in San Mateo are contested when formal or essential requisites are seemingly lacking. A will that is improperly executed is questioned in court. Issues regarding the freedom and mental state of the testator are a source of trouble, and beneficiaries point out how fraud, the lack of capacity, and undue influence have altered an individual's ability to freely make testamentary dispositions.

  • What is a petition to determine succession to property in San Mateo?

    In San Mateo, a petition to determine succession to property is a probate avoidance process for solely-owned assets. It is submitted to the court when a decedent left an asset that is above the probate threshold currently but was below is when during the time of death long ago. It is also usable if the deceased only owned a fractional share in a plot of land, which lies below the probate limit even if the entire plot is not.

  • Can a taxpayer in San Mateo minimize taxes by donating properties that would have been part of the estate instead of resorting to probate after death?

    It is possible to minimize tax dues in San Mateo by giving away what one owns instead of waiting for the probate process to do it after death. The metro follows federal estate and gift tax rates, and the latter is generally lesser than the former especially since there are lifetime and annual exemptions that are usable.

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