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Best Probate Lawyers in Richmond, CA

Our Recommended Top 10

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

33Reviewed

23Curated

10Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

6002 Barrett Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (50)
Google
5.0 (4)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Kathleen A. Hunt is a lawyer who provides counsel and representation for clients in Richmond. She helps clients plan and execute estate and wealth transfers to their designated beneficiaries and heirs. Hunt also assists individuals in avoiding the probate process through estate planning, which involves the drafting of wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. While studying law, Hunt served as editor-in-chief of the Hastings Communication and Entertainment Law Journal. She also published a guide to alternative dispute resolution.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Kathleen Hunt - PrincipalActive21 yrs

1108 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (4)
Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

The Freitas Law Firm, LLP, has been delivering legal solutions to different legal issues in Richmond since 1925. Its team of probate attorneys handles cases on estate planning, administration, and probate and helps create clients' estate plans. Among the concerns dealt with by the lawyers are wills, living trusts and revocable trusts, business succession, conservatorships, and asset protection. The firm's other practice areas include personal injury, real estate law, and general business law.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Robert Turrini - PartnerActive44 yrs
Peter Kleinbrodt - Managing PartnerActive46 yrs
Thomas Keating - PartnerActive48 yrs
Christian Kemos - PartnerActive20 yrs

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

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (7)
Avvo
5.0 (6)
Yelp
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Matthew W. Harris, Esq., LL.M aims to make the probate process easier for families in Richmond. It assists with any concerns related to the distribution of assets, the settlement of any remaining tax obligations, and the negotiation of the will between beneficiaries. It also advises on more efficient and less time-consuming alternatives such as revocable living trusts. Founder Matthew W. Harris has worked with top probate and estate planning attorneys in the San Francisco Bay Area for over five years.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Matthew Harris - PrincipalActive11 yrs

25 Mitchell Boulevard, San Rafael, CA 94903

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (24)
Facebook
5.0 (10)

Why choose this provider?

Etchebehere Law Group is dedicated to helping individuals and families in Richmond protect their wealth and legacy. The firm's practice spans a wide range of services, from handling estate planning and probate for simple and modestly sized estates to complex estates of high-networth individuals. It also provides legal counsel and representation to executors and beneficiaries. Partner attorney Allie Etchebehere has been in the legal profession for over two decades. She is also licensed to practice in Nevada.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Patrick Etchebehere - PartnerActive12 yrs

55 Professional Center Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

McNeil Silveira Rice & Wiley caters to families, fiduciaries, and trustees in Richmond. The law firm assists with probate and trust administration, helping clients manage a departed loved one's estate according to the person's will and state laws. It handles various tasks, from trust accounting to settling creditor claims and transferring inheritances. It also helps heirs and beneficiaries protect their newly acquired assets through estate planning. Its attorneys include a certified public accountant to sort out estate taxes and an arbitration and mediation attorney to help resolve estate disputes.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Patrick Mcneil - PartnerActive52 yrs

1000 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Keegin Harrison LLP has been of service to clients in Richmond and the rest of the Bay area for over 50 years. The law firm offers a range of estate planning services that cover preparation of wills and trusts as well as administration of probate. Aside from the conventional areas of estate planning, its team of probate attorneys also works with clients on business and taxation law and provides assistance on business succession planning for clients' family-owned businesses.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Stafford Keegin - PartnerActive56 yrs

700 Larkspur Landing Cir Ste 199, Larkspur, CA 94939

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (6)
Yelp
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Joseph M. Barton represents individuals and families in Richmond. It focuses on addressing various estate planning matters, from living trusts to probate proceedings. Sole practitioner Joseph M. Barton helps clients throughout estate planning, including collaborating with certified financial planners to handle tax opportunities, nominating guardianship, adding beneficiaries, and changing an executor. Since 1997, he has been advocating for their rights in state and federal courts. Barton is admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Joseph Barton - PrincipalActive28 yrs

1615 Bonanza Street, Suite 305, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (47)
Google
4.9 (16)

Why choose this provider?

Thompson Law Offices is a firm that has been serving the Richmond community since 1985. It assists individuals in probate processes, which involve receiving claims, ordering the payments of the claims, and administering the decedent's properties to heirs. Its legal team also guides clients through a wide range of estate planning matters, including living trusts, pour-over wills, HIPAA releases, and advanced healthcare directives. One of the firm's lawyers, Randall L. Thompson, regularly lectures about estate planning and administration in local universities.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Randall Thompson - PartnerActive47 yrs

1000 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Monty White LLP addresses the legal needs of individuals and families in Richmond and its nearby communities. The firm handles several estate planning matters, such as will contests, powers of attorney, special needs trust, advanced healthcare directives, and probate proceedings. One of its attorneys, Robert S. Rosborough, protects the rights of those dealing with conflicts in administering a family trust in alternative dispute resolution methods, like mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation. He has been active in the field since 1985.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Barbara Monty - PartnerActive38 yrs

1000 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Established in 1958, Hanson Bridgett is a law firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, the East Bay, and the North Bay. It also has probate lawyers in Richmond providing legal services to its client. The law firm has a team of over 170 attorneys who work with clients in different areas, including estate planning, food and beverage, health care, and construction. The law firm also provides legal expertise to clients in different parts of the world.

  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Kristina Lawson - Managing PartnerActive23 yrs

Compare our Top Probate Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
Kathleen A. Hunt
6002 Barrett Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530
The Freitas Law Firm
1108 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
Matthew W. Harris, Esq., LL.M
700 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 199, Larkspur, CA 94939
Etchebehere Law Group
25 Mitchell Boulevard, San Rafael, CA 94903
McNeil Silveira Rice & Wiley
55 Professional Center Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903
Keegin Harrison LLP
1000 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Law Office of Joseph M. Barton
700 Larkspur Landing Cir Ste 199, Larkspur, CA 94939
Thompson Law Offices
1615 Bonanza Street, Suite 305, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Monty White LLP
1000 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Hanson Bridgett LLP
1000 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

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.

Richmond, CA Probate FAQs

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

    The residents of Richmond may reach out to the local police for non-emergency cases by dialing 510-233-1214.

  • Where can I get a copy of police reports for incidents related to my case in Richmond, California?

    Police reports in Richmond can be obtained by calling the records section at (510) 620-6675 to confirm if the report is releasable. The turnaround time for the processing of the reports is within 7-10 business days.

  • What are the duties of an executor during a probate process in Richmond?

    Executors have various tasks during a probate case in Richmond, especially if it concerns the will. The duties of an executor include initiating probate proceedings, learning the assets owned by the decedent, establishing the validity of the will, and notifying the people with a direct interest in the estate about the decedent's death.

  • What happens if probate isn't filed for an estate in Richmond?

    Not filing for probate for an estate in Richmond can have several consequences, such as the assets can be frozen, late fees and other related penalties, unpaid debts, and a conservator may get involved. Sometimes, people who fail to file for probate can face other serious consequences like jail time, fines, and criminal charges.

  • What are the common tasks of probate lawyers in Richmond?

    The probate process is stressful and complex, which is why hiring a lawyer can be a good idea. Probate lawyers have various tasks when helping their clients, like providing advice and guidance in making informed decisions, locating the decedent's assets, preparing and filing the necessary documents, and managing taxes, final bills, debts, and financial accounts.

  • Can an individual in Richmond go through probate without a lawyer?

    It is possible for an individual to navigate through the probate process in Richmond without an attorney. However, they may find themselves confused about various legalities surrounding the matter. The probate system is complex, stressful, and time-consuming, and having a lawyer to assist you during this process may take some of the burdens off your shoulder.

  • How long does the probate process take in Richmond?

    In Richmond, the average time it takes to complete the probate process is between 18 to 24 months, especially if the courts are piled with cases. However, California law states that an executor or any other representative of the decedent should be able to finish the probate process within a year after being appointed.

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