Danville, California Estate and Probate Litigation Law Firm

Barr & Barr Attorneys

318-C Diablo Road
Danville, California 94526
USA

(925) 314-9999

(925) 314-9960

www.barrattorneys.com

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Law Firm Overview

At Barr & Barr Attorneys, based in Danville, California, we specialize in trust and estate litigation, elder abuse litigation, trust and probate administration, and estate planning. We are experts in will and trust contests, elder abuse, contested conservatorships, and all manner of disputes involving trustees and executors. Our firm is unique in that all of our attorneys have drafted wills and trusts, administered estates and trusts, and litigated estate and trust and elder abuse cases.

We grew up and went to school in Northern California and have chosen to raise our families here. As your friends and neighbors we value your confidence in our integrity and competence above all else. Our office is in Danville, California, located near the communities of Concord, Walnut Creek and San Ramon. Although we are based in Northern California, we have successfully handled cases from Los Angeles to Humboldt County.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Trust & Estate Litigation; Health Care Directives; Powers of Attorney; Deeds; IRAs; Tax-deferred Assets; Elder Abuse; Conservatorships; Guardianships; Trust Administration; Real Estate Litigation; Construction Defect; Securities Litigation.

Practice Areas Description

Our practice includes:

- Trust & Estate Litigation

For over 15 years, our attorneys have tried, litigated, mediated, and settled cases involving every type of dispute concerning wills, trusts, health care directives, powers of attorney, life insurance policies, deeds, IRAs, and other tax-deferred assets. We have extensive experience in preparing and defending complex accountings, and are experts at obtaining and challenging accountings. If your dispute involves a fiduciary’s investment decisions, our expertise in the Prudent Investment Rule can help you evaluate all your options. If you are a trustee or executor facing a challenge from beneficiaries, we can help you.

- Will & Trust Contests

A will or trust “contest” is a unique legal action in which one party (called the petitioner, contestant, or plaintiff) attempts to invalidate a will or trust, while the other party (typically a trustee or executor) seeks to defend the validity of the document. Most contests are brought on the grounds of incapacity (that the person who made the will or trust lacked the mental capacity to understand what they were doing) or undue influence (that someone influenced the person who made the will or trust to dispose of their property in an unfair or unnatural manner).

- Elder Abuse

Barr & Barr has always been on the cutting-edge of elder abuse litigation. As one of the first law firms in Northern California to specialize in this area, Barr & Barr has represented hundreds of victims of elder abuse and has obtained one of the largest elder abuse verdicts in Contra Costa County. We have also defended health care providers and others accused of wrongful death and elder abuse. Our attorneys are experts at evaluating all types of elder abuse cases for both plaintiffs and defendants. If you or a loved one has been a victim of elder abuse, or if you have been accused of elder abuse, we can help.

- Conservatorships

A conservatorship is a court proceeding designed to protect elders or dependent adults who may be unable to care for themselves or to resist fraud or undue influence. In a typical conservatorship proceeding a family member or friend files a petition with the court in which he or she asks to be named the “conservator” for the elder, who is referred to as the “proposed conservatee.” Our attorneys have been involved in hundreds of conservatorships and specialize in contested conservatorships. Our objective in these proceedings is to protect the elder and prevent his or her estate from being depleted by unnecessary legal fees.

- Guardianships

A guardianship is a court proceeding to grant someone the authority to make personal and financial decisions for a minor. A guardianship may become necessary if both parents are deceased or when one or both parents are unable or unwilling to care for the child. Guardianship proceedings are often uncontested, and when extended family and friends agree on who should serve as the guardian they can be completed relatively quickly. Contested guardianships – when there is a disagreement over who should serve as guardian or over the actions of the guardian – can be damaging to the minor and their family and should be resolved as quickly as possible.

- Estate Planning

Estate planning – the drafting of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and other documents – is the heart of our practice. Our objective is to provide our clients with peace of mind. This can involve ensuring that our clients’ assets pass to their beneficiaries at their death without the necessity of a probate; avoiding or reducing estate taxes; nominating guardians for minor children; or naming someone to make health care and financial decisions if the client becomes incapacitated. Although we represent many high-net-worth individuals, we are also pleased to represent clients with modest estates.

- Trust Administration & Probate

Our attorneys are expert at guiding trustees and executors through the trust administration or probate process. We typically advise clients to take care of the funeral and other family and personal matters before worrying about legal issues. However, because this process is often more complicated than it seems, and there are many traps for the unwary, it is a good idea to talk to an attorney within a few weeks of a decedent’s death. If you are the executor of a will, or the trustee of a trust, we welcome the opportunity to assist you.

- Business Litigation

Our firm handles civil litigation, general business, and real estate matters for select clients. Our attorneys worked at large general practice law firms and county counsel offices before joining Barr & Barr and are well-equipped to handle most types of civil litigation. We have experience in real estate transactions and litigation, contracts, unfair competition, products liability, construction defect, personal injury, insurance defense, landlord-tenant, securities litigation, employment law, and appeals. We also have extensive experience representing churches and other religious organizations, having represented churches in real estate transactions and disputes, wrongful termination and religious discrimination cases, and church leadership and dissolution controversies.