Trust Me

This Episode of “Trust Me” is Part 1 of a multi-episode series, which features an interview with Ryan Szczepanik and Ciarán O’Sullivan, the co-authors of the article: “When They Don’t Clap for Anti-SLAPP.” The article appeared in the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Volume 28, Issue 1, published in 2022 by the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers...

This Episode of “Trust Me” features an interview with Josh Yager, co-author of the article “How Much is Too Much? Trustee Compensation and an Analysis of California Rules of Court, Rule 7.776.” The article appeared in the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Volume 27 issue 1, published by TEXCOM in 2021. Our conversation takes us on a deep dive of California Rules of Court Rule 7.776, breakin...

Vulnerable elders too often fall victim to predators who marry them for financial gain.  But how should we balance the fundamental right to marry and enjoy companionship with protecting elders from financial abuse? Our guest Ellen McKissock shares her perspective on predatory marriage, including the case that got her thinking about this subject and her journey towards legislative reform.  Ellen wa...

Our guests for this episode are two former IRS Estate and Gift Tax Attorneys, Eva Wolf and Michael Perlmutter. Eva and Michael will discuss the general audit process for Estate and Gift Tax returns. They will also cover common mistakes made based on their extensive experience in auditing hundreds of these returns. About Our Guests: Eva Wolf is currently a Senior Attorney in the Passthroughs &...

Our guest for this episode, Terrence M. Franklin, shares an incredible story of a Last Will and Testament from 1846 that played a very important role in his family history. He hopes that telling this story can help bend the arc of history towards justice.   About Our Guest: Terrence M. Franklin is a partner at Los Angeles based firm Sacks Glazier Franklin & Lodise.  He is a seasoned attorney w...

In this month’s episode of Trust Me! we interview Chelsea Suttmann and Melissa Karlsten, authors of a recent article entitled “Advanced Planning—A Decade in Review: What Have We Learned Over the Last Decade and Where Are we Headed?” The article appeared in Volume 27, Issue 1 of the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly published by the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Associa...

In writing or performing, it is important to know your audience.  In probate litigation, your audience is often the judicial officer presiding over the case.  In this podcast, we sit down with Judge David J. Cowan to get his view on some key topics in handling contested probate proceedings. First, we explore the subject of pleadings and crafting a petition to tell a story.  We next discuss bench t...

The trustee is in the driver’s seat in how a trust is administered, deciding when and how assets will be allocated.  Parents who create trusts to benefit their children often pick one or more of them to serve as trustee.  The beneficiaries become unhappy with what the trustee is doing or failing to do.   A lawyer hired by the beneficiaries may file a petition in the Superior Court asking the judge...

Inheritance forgery can take many forms, including phony estate planning documents that redirect assets to a scammer and fake deeds that spring the family home from the decedent’s estate.  Forgery used to be a crime that could result in the death penalty.  But in the mid-twentieth century, concern about forgery waned.  Based in part on the perception that counterfeit estate plans are rare, several...

Our returning guests for this episode are Bryan Kirk of Fiduciary Trust International and Daniel Lorenzen of Fox Rothschild, LLP.  We discuss issues that arise when trust companies administer trusts from a drafting attorney’s point of view and a trust company’s point of view.  This is the second of a two-part series.  In this episode, we review specific distribution provisions and issues that may...

Our guests for this episode are Bryan Kirk of Fiduciary Trust International and Daniel Lorenzen of Fox Rothschild, LLP.  We discuss issues that arise when trust companies administer trusts from a drafting attorney’s point of view and a trust company’s point of view.  This is a two-part series.  In the first episode, we discuss the need for a corporate trustee, certain discretionary language and ho...

Our guests for this episode are Scott Frasier and Matt Owens, authors of an article to be published in the Trusts and Estates Quarterly called “Let’s Get Digital! ESI in Trust and Estate Litigation.” We discuss the ethical duties of attorneys in regard to E-discovery, preservation letters to clients and opposing counsel aimed at avoiding spoliation of evidence issues, and common sources of electro...

Guests for this episode of “Trust Me!” are Tom Shaver and Neil Wertlieb. Tom served as Editor to the Fourth Edition of the Guide to The California Rules of Professional Conduct for Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Counsel . Tom discusses the process of reviewing and updating the fourth edition of the Guide. He also explains the effort to make this edition even more of a practice guide with  expa...

We continue our discussion of updates with Patrick A. Kohlmann and Vivian Thoreen presenters at the 2020 Annual meeting of as seminar entitled “Case Law and Other Changes in Trusts and Estates Practices”. In this concluding episode we discuss Levin v Winston-Levin (2019) 39 Cal. App.5th 1025 and Estate of Ashlock 45 Cal. App.5th 1066, both of which centered on Probate Code Section 859--the so call...

Patrick A. Kohlmann and Vivian Thoreen pick out some highlights from the presentation at the 2020 Annual meeting entitled “Case Law and Other Changes in Trusts and Estates Practices”. In this episode we cover Pena vs. Day (2019) 39 Cal. App.5th 546, which involves a question of what constitutes an amendment to a trust, and Tubb v. Berkowitz (2020) 47 Cal. App.5th 548, a power of appointment case....

“Trust Me!” is produced by the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association (“TEXCOM”). The Podcast Committee is composed of Herb Stroh, Ciran O’Sullivan, Ryka Farotte, and Jeff Galvin. Suggestions for topics or other feedback can be sent to Herb at herbstroh@gmail.com . We value your input so please, let us hear from you. Trust Me Theme "Hip Jaz...