Online legal services part of changing landscape
Online legal services are not going away, so traditional attorneys need to adapt to the changing marketplace, according to panelists at a San Diego Law Library event last month.
Education
Law School/Year: University of San Diego School of Law, 1991
College/Year: San Diego State University, 1987
Bar Admissions
California; U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
Practice Areas
Estate Planning; Probate & Trust
Major Cases
I participated, at the trial and appellate level, in the Ike v. Doolittle (1998) 61 Cal.App.4th 51. The position of my client, as adopted by the trial court and affirmed by the appellate court, was that the probate court, sitting in equity, could reform a trust that had become irrevocable as a result of the death of the trustors to remedy a drafting area. Ike clarified existing law and is now routinely used by probate attorneys when faced with a drafting error.
I also participated in Munn v. Briggs (2010) 185 Cal.App. 4th 578, at both the trial and appellate level. In Munn, the position of our client that the tort of intentional interference with expected inheritance is only available when no probate remedy is available to plaintiff was adopted by the trial court and affirmed by the appellate court. In light of the Munn decision, probate attorneys now have better guidance on when the above referenced tort can be asserted.
Professional Background
I have been practicing for 21 years. My first four years of practice was in the area of civil litigation. For the last 17 years, my practice has focused exclusively in trust, probate and estate planning, with an emphasis on litigation.
Since focusing in the area of probate and trusts, my professional publications and presentation include:
· "Out of State out of Mind? Not So for Conservators since Hume," California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Vol. 13, Issue 1 (Spring 2007);
· "Common Evidentiary Issues in Probate Matters," Speaker, San Diego County Bar Association, June 23, 2011;
· "Court Approval of Attorney’s Fees: A Bench and Bar Discussion," Moderator, San Diego County Bar Association, March 22, 2012;
· "Navigating Around Issues of Privilege and Privacy in Trust, Probate and Conservatorship Litigation," Speaker, San Diego County Bar Association, May 24, 2012.
Professional Affiliations
Current Member of the San Diego County Bar Association, including membership on the San Diego County Bar Client Relations Committee.
Former Delegate for the Conference of Delegates, California State Bar Convention (1993-1995).
Former Member of the Executive Committee of Trust and Estate Section of the State Bar of California, including participation in the following: Incapacity Sub-Committee; Litigation Sub-Committee; Ethics Sub-Committee and Chair and Editor- California Trusts and Estates Quarterly.
Online legal services are not going away, so traditional attorneys need to adapt to the changing marketplace, according to panelists at a San Diego Law Library event last month.
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