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2024

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Best Probate Lawyers in Santa Monica

Our Recommended Top 19

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

37Reviewed

29Curated

19Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

11300 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 910, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Website

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Review Sources

Google
4.8 (219)
Yelp
4.3 (21)
Facebook
5.0 (11)

Why choose this provider?

Since 2014, Keystone Law Group, P.C., has been assisting Santa Monica clients with the probate process. It helps enforce the rights of beneficiaries, creditors, executors, heirs, and surviving spouses regarding the administration of a decedent’s estate. The attorneys defend and challenge the validity of wills due to error or suspicion of misconduct. Managing partner Shawn S. Kerendian is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law. He has been named as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” Attorneys in California by the Daily Journal.

  • Trusts
  • Wills

729 Mission St. #300, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Website

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Google
4.9 (55)
Yelp
4.6 (20)
Facebook
5.0 (11)

Why choose this provider?

Hayes Law Firm serves individuals in the Santa Monica area who are seeking assistance with probate. Its team represents executors and helps them appraise assets and notify creditors, heirs, and beneficiaries. The legal professionals also provide trust administration services, which involve guidance in selecting trustees and establishing living trusts. Hayes Law Firm is headed by William Hayes, who drafts estate plans to help clients avoid probate and protect their assets. He is an American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys member.

15250 Ventura Blvd Ste 1102, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

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Review Sources

Google
5.0 (12)
Avvo
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

With probate attorneys near Santa Monica, the Stevenson Law Office services residents from the Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Long Beach, and the Orange County areas. The firm represents clients in litigation related to estate planning, trusts, conservatorship, and probate. Over the years, its team has handled many inheritance-related disputes that involved individual beneficiaries, executors, trustees, trust administrators, and conservators. Stevenson Law Office provides online forms on their website to assist in estate planning.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
W. Stevenson - Founding PartnerActive25 yrs

16133 Ventura Blvd Ste 675, Encino, CA 91436

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (12)

Why choose this provider?

Encino-based Aaronson Law Corporation provides legal representation from its probate lawyers near Santa Monica. Since 1975, the firm's founder, Arthur Aaronson, and his team have built long-term relationships with clients while understanding their needs and goals. Aside from probate, the firm has extensive experience in estate planning, real estate, and contracts. Aaronson Law Corporation is committed to providing ethical and sound legal advice to produce high-quality and cost-effective legal solutions.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Arthur Aaronson - Attorney / FounderActive49 yrs

12121 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1103, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Website

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Review Sources

Google
5.0 (5)
Yelp
5.0 (1)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Catalino Law represents beneficiaries, executors, and trustees in probate courts in Santa Monica and throughout Southern California. It works with clients in administering estates or trusts. The firm’s board-certified estate planning specialist, Cynthia Catalino, helps families plan for their future by preparing advance healthcare directives, financial powers of attorney, trusts, and wills. She serves on the Trusts and Estates Section of the State Bar of California and is a member of the International Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners.

  • Trust Administration
  • Probate Litigation

1901 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067

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Why choose this provider?

Schorr Law is a Los Angeles-based law firm with estate planning attorneys near Santa Monica and serving clients state-wide in California. The firm uses a case-specific approach when dealing with clients, combining a cost and benefit analysis while focusing on clients' goals. Schorr Law has assisted a variety of clients, whether individuals or businesses. Its team is well-versed in estate planning, probate litigation, the mediation of real estate disputes, and commercial lease counseling.

  • Trusts
  • Probate Litigation

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Zachary Schorr - PrincipalActive22 yrs

2219 Main Street, #456, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Website

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Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (38)
Google
5.0 (37)
Yelp
5.0 (20)

Why choose this provider?

Tree of Life Law Firm offers services to individuals looking to protect their wealth in Santa Monica and the surrounding communities. It assists clients in managing their assets through probate and structures estate planning strategies to address future requirements. It provides solutions involving special needs planning, charitable giving, asset and inheritance protection, family legacy planning, and tax planning. The firm addresses location challenges and delivers services virtually through phone or video conference. Principal attorney Edmund Yan has been serving clients for over a decade. 

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Edmund Yan - PrincipalActive13 yrs

3205 Ocean Park Blvd., Ste. 200, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.7 (13)
Yelp
3.5 (3)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Marc A. Bronstein caters to clients in Santa Monica who need legal assistance with their probate matters. With over four decades of experience in the legal field, he focuses on helping individuals, families, and business owners plan for the future of their estates and families. It guides clients in preparing wills, powers of attorneys, revocable living trusts, and advanced health care directives. In addition to being a probate and estate planning attorney, Marc A. Bronstein is also a certified public accountant.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Marc Bronstein - Senior PartnerActive47 yrs

100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (8)
Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Reiter Gruber LLP is a multidisciplinary law firm that handles probate cases in Santa Monica and neighboring counties. Its co-founders, Charlie Reiter and Robert Gruber, have secured multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for trustees and decedents alike. For example, Mr. Gruber successfully obtained the removal of the trustees of a $400-million-dollar trust. Using this experience, they represent decedents and beneficiaries in securing the proper allocation of their share of an inheritance. They can also petition for the appointment of an executor to enact the will of the deceased.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Charlie Reiter - Co-Founding PartnerActive9 yrs

2450 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
4.9 (33)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Chris Arvin creates legal solutions to help streamline estate planning for the residents of Santa Monica. It helps clients navigate the complexities of the probate process. Chris Arvin assists estate owners in cataloging assets, paying debts, and distributing properties. He also aids small estate owners in avoiding probate. Arvin was admitted to the bar in 1983 and is a member of the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce. He has served clients from UCLA, SpaceX, and Farmer's Insurance.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Living Trust

2530 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 325, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (10)
Facebook
5.0 (6)
Avvo
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Naveed Mahboobian is a multi-practice firm in Santa Monica that assists in probate law matters. It offers assistance and litigation counsel throughout the probate and trust administration. It helps its clients understand their estate planning options, which include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. It also guides them in setting up these documents. Naveed Mahboobian has been admitted to practice in the bar associations of California and the District of Columbia.

  • Probate

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Naveed Mahboobian - PrincipalActive13 yrs

201 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 300, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (1)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Gorman & Miller is a law firm serving individuals, families, and businesses throughout Santa Monica and the surrounding cities. It represents clients in probate court to help resolve their estate issues. It also guides clients in creating business succession plans for their family-owned businesses. Gorman & Miller also utilizes an online document management system, which allows document signing and negotiations to provide flexible legal transactions to clients. One of its attorneys, Kenneth Heisz, brings three decades of litigation experience.

  • Estate Planning
  • Probate Litigation

4223 Glencoe Ave Suite C106, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (7)
Yelp
5.0 (5)

Why choose this provider?

Thomas R. Barnes, Attorney at Law, guides administrators and executors in Santa Monica through the probate process, from filing the will with the court to paying taxes and debts and implementing the wishes of the deceased. It also represents beneficiaries and trust fiduciaries in cases when probate litigation is necessary. Attorney Thomas Barnes has been helping people preserve and manage their wealth for two decades. He also handles domestic relations cases and is a board-certified family law specialist.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Thomas Barnes - PrincipalActive32 yrs

1250 6th Street, Suite 300, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Jakle & Alexander, LLP helps clients with probate, estate planning, and administration of trusts in the Santa Monica metro. It guides the estate's executor in the inventory and distribution of assets. It also helps with the settlement of disputes, payment of debts, and closure of the probate. The firm assists with estate and incapacity planning, establishing guardianship, and setting up a special needs trust. One of the firm's partners, Lisa C. Alexander, is a certified legal specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law.

  • Estate Planning
  • Probate

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
John Jakle - PartnerActive53 yrs

1337 Ocean Avenue Suite B, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Kull Hall Attorneys at Law LLP provides Santa Monica residents with legal services in estate and trust litigation, family and business interests dissolutions, and real estate law. Kevin P. Hall and Robert F. Kull established the firm in 2009. Kull and Hall's professional partnership dates back to 1985. They have 54 years of collective legal experience and possess extensive legal expertise stemming from their previous employment in various law firms. Kull Hall Attorneys at Law LLP also handles professional malpractice and business counseling.

  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Robert Kull - PartnerActive48 yrs

401 Wilshire Blvd 12th Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (3)
Avvo
5.0 (2)
Yelp
1.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Mihell Law concentrates on probate law in Santa Monica. The firm's legal team has experience in probate administration to help ease the burden of bereaved families. Services include distribution of remaining assets on behalf of the decedent, preparation and filing of the necessary paperwork, mediation of disputes over assets between beneficiaries, and payment of taxes and outstanding debts. Its lead attorney, Monica Mihell, served as a court-appointed special advocate for children, an arbitrator, a voluntary settlement officer, and a mediator.

  • Estate Planning

12400 Wilshire Blvd #400, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (9)
Facebook
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

Legacy One Law Firm focuses its law practice on estate planning and asset protection for individuals, families, and entertainment professionals in Santa Monica. It educates clients about the process of estate planning and drafts documents according to the clients' personal needs. It provides legal solutions concerning wills, revocable living trusts, and irrevocable living trusts to help preserve their wealth and construct protection plans for children. In addition, the law office deals with matters involving durable powers of attorney and health care documents.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Sedric Collins - CEO / Founding AttorneyActive7 yrs

100 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1300, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Murphy Rosen LLP has experienced probate litigators who have been trying high-stakes Santa Monica estate and trust disputes. It accepts cases involving breach of the fiduciary’s duty, capacity, undue influence, fund misappropriation, trust interpretation, and trustee removal. Its attorneys have an average of 25 years of high-stakes litigation experience. It represents international clients and Fortune 500 businesses. The firm has recently won a verdict for a trustee accused of undue influence and fraud involving more than $30 million in damages.

  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Paul Murphy - Partner/ Founding MemberActive32 yrs

401 Wilshire Blvd., 12th Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (6)
Google
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Waugh Law offers assistance to individuals and businesses in Santa Monica and the neighboring areas. Its probate attorneys deal with matters, such as guardianship, trusts disputes, will contests, and estate litigation. The firm also handles estate planning-related cases, including trust modifications, reformations, and trust conversions. Founder Christian Waugh also assists clients in cases, such as real estate, litigation, and business law matters in state and federal courts. In addition, Waugh Law attorneys use an industry-standard framework while maintaining a traditional approach to practicing law.

  • Trusts
  • Wills

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Megan Gray - OwnerActive11 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 Santa Monica, California?

    (310) 458-8491 is the non-emergency contact number for the Santa Monica Police Department.

  • When should Santa Monica heirs and beneficiaries consider hiring a probate attorney to represent them in challenging the validity of a trust or will?

    Beneficiaries of an estate in Santa Monica should seek the assistance of a probate lawyer if they believe a decedent's will or trust was not properly executed. Another reason to hire a probate attorney is the absence of estate planning agreements that specify beneficiaries. If the heirs are concerned about the executor's or trustee's ability or capacity to carry out their duties, they may also consider hiring a probate attorney.

  • Can the executor of a Santa Monica decedent’s estate set up a new bank account exclusively for paying creditors?

    Yes, because the deceased’s assets must be used to pay off existing debts before inheritances can be transferred to heirs and beneficiaries. These debts include unpaid income taxes. The new bank account can also be used to make recurring payments, like insurance policies and mortgages, for the duration of the will’s administration. Executors cannot use their own bank accounts for these purposes.

  • What types of probate disputes can arise in Santa Monica?

    Probate litigation can occur for several reasons in Santa Monica, including questions about the mental incapacity of older people when signing a will or a trust. Disputes may also arise when more than one will is presented to the probate court. Relatives may also accuse other family members of manipulating an elderly person to change or write a will in their favor.

  • Can a beneficiary sue an irrevocable trust in Santa Monica and the state of California?

    Generally, a Santa Monica beneficiary cannot sue an irrevocable trust directly because it is a legal entity. Because such a trust is often regarded as final and eternally binding, a court may only alter or cancel it under extremely narrow circumstances. However, it is possible to file a lawsuit against the trustee of a trust.

  • Can the executor of an estate override a Santa Monica beneficiary?

    Yes, the executor of a decedent’s estate in Santa Monica can override a beneficiary if such an action is needed to follow the terms of the will. The law requires executors to distribute assets to heirs and beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the will. If a dispute emerges, the executor should petition the court for instructions. A court order will then govern how the dispute is resolved. On the other hand, beneficiaries cannot override executors unless they breach their fiduciary duty.