John L. McDonnell recognized as “Best Lawyer of the Year, 2020” for work in Trusts and Estates

The closure of nearly all superior courts in California and limitations on court filings have raised a practical issue for parties.

High property values in California highlight the need for careful property tax planning. If you have owned your property for many years, it is likely that your property's assessed value for property tax purposes is significantly lower than today's fair market value. If your property should be reassessed, you or your family members could be faced with a significant increase in the annual property tax.

Principal Ryan Szczepanik and Daniel Spector presented on the “Best (and latest) Practices for Trust, Estate and Financial Elder Abuse Mediations” to the Alameda County Bar Association. Topics discussed included common methods of resolution, when to participate in a T&E, FEA mediation, selecting the right mediator, pre-mediation tasks, the mediation brief, and the settlement agreement.