Thornton Probate 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.

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...

Daniel T. Quane manages Doyle Quane's Trusts and Estates practice. Dan is a Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate Law. He has advanced legal degrees in Taxation (LL.M.) and Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law (LL.M.) and he was named Super Lawyer’s Rising Star in 2015 and 2016. He works with a diverse range of clients, from those of average means to wealthy families requiring complex advanced estate tax planning strategies. Dan has experience guiding families through the complex legal process required upon death in the most efficient manner possible, whether it’s through trust administration or...

My name is Ravi Patel and I am trust litigation attorney based in Oakland, California. I have experience filing Heggstad Petitions throughout the state. After I graduated from Duke University School of Law, I joined a general practice law firm in my hometown, Bakersfield, California. I worked on various transactional and litigation matters and gained a broad breadth of experience in legal areas including water law, public agency law, property taxes, local taxes, real estate law, and land use law. In 2019, my partner and I relocated to Oakland, California, where I worked for the Oakland City Attorney’s office. As...

Education Ms. Mayer graduated from the University of California, Davis with degrees in Political Science and Communications. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law with a Certificate in Public Interest and Social Justice. Awards and Honors During law school, Heather Mayer was recognized with the Award for Best Oral Advocate and the Pro Bono Award. Ms. Mayer is the recipient of the prestigious Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Wills & Trusts, Advanced Legal Writing, Interviewing & Counseling, and for the Advanced Practice Clinic of the Northern California Innocence Project....

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,...

Here at Klosek Law Offices in Sacramento, California, we want to help you protect yourself and your assets for the future by creating comprehensive estate plans that will help you preserve and pass on your wealth to your heirs and loved ones.

Serving clients throughout Sacramento County and all the surrounding areas of Northern California, our law firm is one of the area's premier estate planning practices, and since this is our sole area of focus, we can provide you with a level of representation and support other law firms simply cannot match with regard to any of the following:

1.) Basic...

Jean Claude (JJ) B. Mallein Jr. is an experienced business, tax and trusts and estates attorney. Dedicated to wealth preservation, he has focused his education and practice on helping California residents secure their estates and prepare for the future. As a partner at boutique tax and estate planning firm in the Silicon Valley, Mr. Mallein gained valuable experience in wealth management, estate planning, tax planning, business succession planning, trust and estate administrations, tax controversy, real estate transactions and like-kind exchange cases. He is fully prepared to tackle complex business and estate planning cases. Mr. Mallein is a Dual Certified...

Amy's approach to estate planning is to focus on each client's unique needs and objectives. She strives to design a comprehensive plan for her clients that provides the maximum protection without compromise. Her broad experience enables her to provide keen insight for her clients. She is deeply commitment to her clients and the ethical standards of her profession. Amy has lived in Brentwood since 2001 with her husband and two daughters. She is a Director for the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce and in her free time, enjoys yoga, reading and golf.

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...

Matthew Roy graduated with a degree in Government from CSU, Sacramento and his J.D. from University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. While living in Sacramento, Matthew has participated in various community groups and organizations. He has served on the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges after his appointment by Governor Gray Davis as well as the Board of Directors for the Camellia Symphony Association of Sacramento. Mr. Roy volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, Women Escaping a Violent Environment (W.E.A.V.E.), the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Project, as well as oversees domestic violence prevention workshops...

I am a trust & estate attorney with Drobny Law Offices in Sacramento, California. My practice encompasses estate planning, estate administration, and estate litigation. I lead beneficiaries and trustees through each step of the litigation process. From mediation to trials, I work to help my clients successfully resolve complex legal conflicts in the quickest and most cost-efficient way possible. I am treasurer for Sacramento County Bar Association probate section, the Women Lawyers Association, Placer County Bar Association, and Placer Women Lawyers.

Law practice focused primarily on two areas: (1) helping Bay Area residents buy or sell a home without a realtor, and (2) drafting living trusts for married couples.

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...

Hannah Sargent received her undergraduate degree from University of California Los Angeles and graduated from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. While in school, she spent time clerking for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Jose. She is a former military officer, company commander, two-time Iraq war veteran and decorated AH-64D Apache Helicopter pilot. She is currently the principal attorney at Sargent Law Office, where she practices litigation, business and commercial law, and estate planning, and she lives in Castro Valley with her family. Between her time working and being with her family, she enjoys...

Nancy E. Miller has been an attorney in California since 2015. Nancy practices law in the areas of Probate, Trusts, Wills, and Estate Planning. Nancy serves clients in Napa County, Solano County, Sonoma County and Lake County. After graduating in 1991 with her Bachelor of Arts in French, Nancy spent several years teaching elementary school in Northern California and Oregon. In 1996, Nancy began her second career in Human Resources and Payroll when she was hired at Paychex, Inc. Even though she was also a busy single mom during her 14-year course of employment at Paychex in...

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 represent individuals and small to medium sized businesses in bankruptcy, foreclosure defense and debt consolidation matters. For individuals, I represent clients in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings, including adversary proceedings, including 2nd home mortgage lien stripping, redemption of vehicles and student loan reductions. For businesses, I provide services related to the winding down of a business, board and management consultations and bankruptcy debt consolidation in Chapter 11. In conjunction with my bankruptcy practice, I also provide estate planning, probate and trust administration representation. The best way to avoid probate is to plan properly by drafting...

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...

My law firm specializes in all aspects of tax planning and tax controversy, trust and estate planning and litigation, business formation and bankruptcy (primarily relating to business/tax debts). I have over 30 years of experience as a tax specialist.

I have been a part of the legal profession for over 14 years, and have been a practicing attorney for the last 8 years. I learned at a young age how devastating the legal system can be and attempted to become a part of the solution shortly thereafter.

After working in a private firm assisting those with debilitating injuries regain their livelihood, I learned how difficult the legal system can be to navigate. I have participated in legal research, assisted clients in both criminal and civil cases, have been an advocate through numerous bankruptcy proceedings, and helped clients plan for the...

Attorney Gary D. Sparks is an accomplished lawyer who has successfully provided legal services and representation to families, husbands, wives, parents, military service members, and same sex partners for nearly two decades. Gary was a regular guest for several years on the former Ronn Owens Program on KGO-AM 810 in San Francisco, and has been interviewed by local and national publications in addition to publishing several of his own legal guides.

Gary graduated first in his class from John F. Kennedy University School of Law, where he was awarded magna cum laude honors for excellence in academic achievement and received...

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...

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...

At the Law Office of Carol A. Fauerbach, we start by listening to your specific estate planning needs. We take the time to explain to you how estate planning works and the options available. We customize each estate plan, thoroughly review the completed documents with you, and educate you on how to best use your estate plan to meet your objectives. We welcome questions even long after your documents have been completed. Our goal is to not only complete an estate plan for you that meets your objectives, but to also make sure you understand how to best use it...

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.

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.

Attorney Jim Filippi is the founder and principal attorney for the Filippi Law Firm, P.C. He is a native of Northern California, where he was born and raised. Jim has an extensive educational background, graduating with the following degrees: -Juris Doctor (JD) from Northwestern California University School of Law -Bachelor of Science in Law from Northwestern California University School of Law -Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California Coast University -Associates of Science in Administration of Justice from Diablo Valley College Certificate in Law Enforcement from Napa Valley College Jim is also an adjunct professor of law at Northwestern California University School of Law, from where...

Alden Knisbacher has represented clients in the Bay Area and across California since 1994. He has litigated hundreds of cases in various areas of law including employment, real estate, contract and business disputes, probate disputes, civil rights and other matters.

Mr. Knisbacher is a Georgetown Law graduate.

When not practicing law he can be found hiking, biking, running or cycling with his two children. Or, perhaps, playing with their pet bunny, Bobby.

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...

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...

Adams & Hayes Law was founded in 2000 by partners Therese A. Adams, Esq. and Susan E. Hayes, Esq. Ms. Susan Hayes is now retired from the firm. Ms. Adams, with 30 years experience in contract drafting and negotiation, focuses on Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Probate. Ms. Adams has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Business Administration from California Coast University. She received her Juris Doctor from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento and holds the Associate of Risk Management (ARM) certification from the Insurance Institute of America. Ms. Adams is a member...