High-Value Estate Litigation in California
Complex estates are challenging to navigate and require skilled and nuanced legal advocacy to resolve. Whether it’s an estate with a large inventory of high-value assets, extensive investments, or numerous assets placed overseas and across multiple jurisdictions, we can help. The attorneys at RMO LLP have the experience, legal knowledge, and robust network necessary to develop a personalized, practical legal strategy and advocate for your interests in the most high-stakes, complex legal matters.
We recognize both the sensitivity and strategy that resolving such matters requires during an emotionally and financially challenging time. With offices across California, our attorneys provide relentless advocacy and detailed legal guidance to protect your family’s interests and secure your access to vital assets.
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Our Awards
Strategic and Relentless Advocacy
In contentious estate matters involving significant and meaningful assets, it’s crucial to have the support of an experienced probate attorney to provide clarity and advocate relentlessly on your behalf. At RMO LLP, our attorneys utilize a deep understanding of the California Probate Codes, experience with the intricacies of navigating complex estates and a familiarity with the workings of local probate courts to guide our clients. After taking the time to hear the context of your case and the unique family dynamics surrounding it, our attorneys will evaluate grounds for your dispute, gather necessary evidence and explore all available legal avenues in pursuit of your desired outcome.
More Favorable Outcomes
Our attorneys leverage our experience in some of the most complex and sensitive estate disputes to develop a real-world, practical legal strategy focused on precision-driven results. Whether it’s through mediation, negotiation, or litigation, our attorneys will work diligently to identify holes in the opposing case, build a strong evidence-supported claim and resolve your matter in as little time as possible for less legal spend. For our California clients, this results in better outcomes that allow them to secure access to the inheritance they are owed and move on with their lives sooner.
California Practice Areas
Our California estate litigation attorneys have decades of experience supporting a diverse clientele across a variety of high-stakes matters to protect their most cherished family assets.
Trust litigation involves contentious legal disputes related to trusts and their administration. Whether it’s an inheritance dispute, a contested trust, or a breach of fiduciary duty case, our attorneys represent interested parties to advocate for their best interests, provide practical legal guidance and secure the best possible outcome for our clients while respecting the intentions of the trust creator.
Probate and estate litigation arises when there is a challenge related to the will or the administration of the estate in probate. Our attorneys provide advocacy and legal guidance across cases that include will contests, inheritance disputes, asset theft, executor misconduct and other contentious matters to resolve disputes sooner, preserve their loved one’s wishes and protect their access to their rightful inheritance.
Elderly individuals may be vulnerable to bad actors seeking to benefit from their resources, especially in cases involving significant wealth. Our attorneys will step in to protect the interests of victims, defend their estate and seek the recovery of assets, no matter how valuable their estate, having successfully prosecuted and defended hundreds of financial elder abuse cases in California.
Conservatorships and guardianships are valuable arrangements when a person is no longer able to care for themselves or make sound decisions. With experience contesting and advocating for appointments and defending against unjust conservator actions, the attorneys at RMO LLP advocate for the interests of protected individuals and their loved ones while respecting their access to valuable assets.
As Seen On
Client Testimonials
The attorneys at RMO LLP recognize that with our clients, we are stronger together. Our clients trust us for honest support and aggressive advocacy.
Direct, honest, and helpful in our conservatorship dispute!
“Absolute pleasure to deal with! I highly recommend Scott and RMO. They are direct, honest, and helpful, and guided my family in a conservatorship dispute. Honesty these days is harder and harder to come by and it’s much appreciated!”
Tiffany G.
Scott Rahn guided me through a complex case.
“Scott Rahn is an expert in this area of law. I have an unscrupulous sister who moved my father to another state. My sister sold his home and drained his bank accounts. Scott helped and guided me through the process. I highly recommend him and without hesitation would refer him.”
Paul R.
Aggressive and Compassionate Advocacy
“Scott Rahn and his team are not just a zealous advocates but caring individuals. Scott has a great bedside manner and takes care of his clients who are often times in a very vulnerable position. I highly recommend Scott to anyone looking for an aggressive yet compassionate attorney.”
Eliza G.
Direct, honest, and helpful in our conservatorship dispute!
“Absolute pleasure to deal with! I highly recommend Scott and RMO. They are direct, honest, and helpful, and guided my family in a conservatorship dispute. Honesty these days is harder and harder to come by and it’s much appreciated!”
Tiffany G.
Our Case Results
For our California clients, our attorneys have a proven track record of delivering meaningful outcomes that protect their interests and defend their families’ legacies.
Trust Amendment Invalidated for Undue Influence
After trial, awarded a seven-figure judgment, plus attorney’s fees and costs on behalf of the elderly niece of the decedent, where auntie’s neighbor/caregiver used undue influence to connive her way into becoming the primary beneficiary of her trust shortly before she passed.
Defended Trustee Against Breach of Fiduciary Duty for Imprudent Investments
Defended the successor trustee of a family trust against claims from his brother that he had breached his fiduciary duty to invest trust assets prudently when a concentrated commodity position he amassed lost essentially all its value swiftly. The probate court denied the charge on evidence presented by RMO that the trust’s broad investment powers and the deceased settlor’s speculative investment meant that the investment loss could not constitute a breach.
Recovered Stolen Trust Property + Double Damages and Attorney’s Fees
Representing the successor professional fiduciary trustee, secured a seven-figure probate court judgment, plus double damages, attorney’s fees and costs in recovering real property that had been transferred and stolen by an unscrupulous trust beneficiary.
Recovered Grandma’s Stolen Home
On behalf of the granddaughter administrator of grandma’s probate estate, secured a judgment against grandma’s daughter and son-in-law to recover title to grandma’s home and monies wrongfully withdrawn against the property.
Remedied Dependent Adult Financial Abuse
Secured the intestate probate estate of our clients, the rightful heirs of their cousin’s estate, who had fallen prey to an ex-con drug dealer “friend” who had coerced the cousin to sign will documents while dying in his hospital bed.
Rectified Financial Elder Abuse by Thieving Neighbor, With Double Damages
Representing the institutional successor trustee of a family trust, obtained a financial elder abuse judgment against a neighbor “friend” abuser who had taken significant sums of money from an elderly man just months before he died, including double damages interest, attorney’s fees and costs.
Secured Family’s Business Legacy
Representing the successor family trustee, secured the generational family business for the decedent’s heirs by acquiring from a disgruntled beneficiary their interest in the family business on extremely favorable terms that will allow the family to continue operating the family business for future generations to come.
Defended Financial Elder Abuse Claim Against Surviving Spouse Trustee
Successfully defended a surviving spouse trustee against financial elder abuse and other claims made by family members who said she had fraudulently transferred assets to herself from her late husband’s trust and estate.
Prevented Trustee Removal for Badly-Lawyered Trust Accounting
Staved off suspension, removal and surcharge for a trustee who had failed to properly or timely provide court-ordered trust accountings to trust beneficiaries and was staring down an imminent deadline, as well as suspension, removal and surcharge.
Removed Trustee for Fraud
Neutralized and secured removal of a hostile co-trustee who was attempting to bilk our client’s trust of millions of dollars through a series of fabricated claims.
Removed and Surcharged Thieving Trustee
Secured removal of a thieving co-trustee daughter whose malfeasance left her own mother destitute and unable to pay her bills, including recovery of the stolen assets, attorney fees and costs.
Defended Sub-Trust Allocations
Client’s mother survived step-dad and succeeded him as trustee of their family trust. After mom passed, step-dad’s children alleged she had improperly allocated trust assets to favor her survivor’s trust, which went to our client, over the marital trust, which went to step-dad’s children. Using historic appraisals and valuations, demonstrated the disputed allocation was reasonable, resolving the dispute.
Mom’s House and Legacy Saved from Foreclosure
Prevented foreclosure of mom’s house – the estate’s only significant asset – by securing ex parte appointment as Special Administrator and then obtaining a temporary restraining order preventing the home’s foreclosure so the property could be sold, securing mom’s legacy for her children and grandchildren.
Family Jewels Recovered
On behalf of a professional fiduciary, convinced the probate court to award our client double damages, attorney’s fees and costs in addition to recovery of significant personal property wrongfully taken from – and refused to be returned to – the estate.
Saving the Family Farm
Helped family members recover ownership of the multi-million dollar family farm that had been transferred out of an irrevocable trust improperly by an unscrupulous trustee through the fraudulent use of a decanting statute.
Estate Administrator’s Fraudulent Probate Accounting Revealed
Represented decedent’s children in a contested probate accounting over various expenses the administrator attempted to charge against the estate, and then further successfully obtained an order from the court shifting a portion of the client’s fees and cost to several unrepresented heirs through a “common fund” theory of fee recovery.
“Death Bed” Trust Amendment Thwarted
Within weeks, secured evidence sufficient to convince the surviving step-parent perpetrator of a “death bed” trust amendment that disinherited our client to abandon the amendment and pay our client his high seven-figure inheritance.
Holographic Trust Amendment Neutered
Secured summary judgment on behalf of a trust beneficiary where the trustee claimed a holographic trust amendment halved our client’s inheritance, resulting in our client receiving her full inheritance and the trust paying her attorney’s fees and costs.
Invalidated Assignment of Elder Beneficiary’s Interest
Secured an elderly client’s rightful inheritance from her brother’s estate, invalidating the ill-gotten assignment the brother’s widow and her attorney had secured from her using subterfuge and without advising her to seek her own counsel.
Disputed Heirship Recognized
Effectuated heirship for the secret scion daughter of the decedent, who learned of his daughter only late in life and came to celebrate their relationship and hold her out to his community and confidants, but refrained from sharing their relationship with his wife and daughter, which led to disputed heirship after he passed.
Third Time’s The Charm – Eight Figure Trust Saved for Surviving Spouse
Represented the surviving spouse of her deceased husband’s high eight-figure trust estate, which, through some ill-advised estate planning, had left the client as a co-fiduciary with her estranged stepson and a bungling property manager. Prior litigation with previous counsel resulted only in our client’s resignation, which allowed the bunglers to further waste trust assets. Secured a final, global resolution for the surviving spouse that secured the resignations of the “bad” trustees and replaced them with an institutional trustee who is working to remedy their bad acts and save the estate.
Secured Long Overdue Child Support from Deadbeat Dad’s Estate
Represented former spouse in collecting long-unpaid child support through creditor’s claim procedure from her ex-husband’s estate.
Secured Retirement Benefits for Surviving Spouse
Represented the surviving spouse in successfully defending her status as beneficiary of her deceased husband’s retirement benefits against contest by the decedent’s former wife and children, who had claimed lack of capacity and undue influence.
Disposed of Interloping Ex-Spouse’s Trust Contest
Represented the surviving spouse trustee of her deceased husband’s trust against a trust contest on the grounds of incapacity and undue influence by the husband’s first wife – and his children from that marriage – all of whom had been disinherited by the decedent. Deployed tried and true probate litigation tactics to put the interlopers to task, which resulted in the court dismissing their claims, saving significant time and money.
Online Romance Fraud Halted
Established an emergency conservatorship of the estate of a divorcee who had been ensnared by Nigerian fraudsters,who had infiltrated, isolated, defrauded and unduly influenced her into sending them millions, leaving her destitute and unable to buy food.
Conservatee Protected, Financial Advisor Fraudster Barred from Industry
Represented a court-appointed guardian ad litem in securing a prosecution agreement with counsel for the conservator of an institutionalized dementia patient who was taken advantage of financially by her financial advisor, leading to his permanent bar from the financial services industry.
Protected Elder Father from His Own Daughters
On behalf of his wife, established conservatorship of an elderly man over the protests of his daughters, who were his attorneys-in-fact and nominated conservators, living rent-free in his properties, and had repeatedly threatened to withhold caregiving. Secured ex parte suspension of the daughters’ powers of attorney and appointment of a private professional fiduciary to protect dad, which was granted by probate court.
Grandmother Safeguarded
Secured appointment of a private professional fiduciary for grandmother on behalf of grandson, and over the objections of grandson’s aunt, who, along with her husband, had been exploiting grandma financially, securing grandma’s return home and well being.
Guardianships for Kidnapped Parent
In two separate cases, established a guardianship for our client on behalf of their parent after the parent was secretly moved across state lines by our clients’ siblings so the kidnapping sibling could take financial advantage of the parent.
Conservatorship Thwarted
Defeated wife’s attempt to have herself appointed as conservator for husband when dad resisted wife’s efforts to unduly influence him to change his estate plan in her favor.
Jurisdiction ≠ Forum Non Convenience
In a published opinion, obtained reversal of a lower court decision confusing jurisdiction with forum non conviens, re-establishing the trust beneficiary’s right to continue prosecuting his fraud, undue influence, and financial elder abuse claims.
Settlement Approved, Confirmed and Enforced
Represented trustee, at trial and on appeal, to enforce a settlement agreement addressing his co-trustee’s a breach of fiduciary duties, after the offending co-trustee fraudulently claimed he had satisfied his obligations under the agreement.
Trust Contest Win Buttressed
Successfully defended trustee and sole beneficiary against trust contest by disinherited heir. Then, when the trial judge erroneously entered judgment creating potential exposure for subsequent litigation, prevailed on appeal to modify the judgment to insulate the trustee from any possible further litigation.
Confirmed Life Insurance Proceeds as Trust Asset
Represented trustee of irrevocable trust in a published appellate decision confirming the trust could be funded properly with life insurance proceeds even though all formalities typically required by the terms of the life insurance policy had not been satisfied.
Refuted Forged Estate Planning Documents
Secured the estate of our client’s late father, who had been victimized by childhood friends who had forged estate planning documents to steal his estate from his family.
Invalidated Fraudulent Property Transfers
Secured return of our client’s home value after her daughter and son-in-law moved into the home under the guise of “helping” her, only to defraud her into signing documents signing her home over to them, after which they forced her out of her home.
Righted Caregiver “Girlfriend’s” Grift
Recovered the home of an infirm, institutionalized senior who had been victimized by his “girlfriend,” an opportunistic volunteer at his care facility, securing his golden years.
Ready to Get Started?
Our probate attorneys handle all types of trust and estate disputes. Whether you’re a trustee, executor, heir or beneficiary, we can help you resolve your probate matter.