Los Angeles Probate Attorney
Protecting heirs and beneficiaries when a Los Angeles probate, trust, or inheritance matter turns into a dispute.
The attorneys on your case
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Mark C. Smith
Principal Attorney & Founder
Berkeley Law · AmLaw Top 50 Firm · Federal Clerk · Combat Veteran
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Nicholas Jacobs
Attorney, Estate Planning
Northwestern California Law
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Seth Steward
Litigation Attorney
GW Law · Harvard Kennedy · Former Prosecutor · Air Force Veteran
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Veteran-Founded & Led
Founded by Mark C. Smith, U.S. Army combat veteran.
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Berkeley Law-Trained
Educated at UC Berkeley School of Law.
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California Statewide
SF · Sacramento · Los Angeles · San Diego.
Losing a parent, spouse, or family member is hard enough. The legal process that follows can become even harder when someone questions a will, delays a distribution, refuses to account, or uses estate property without clear authority.
Probate litigation is the part of probate that deals with disputes. These disputes may involve heirs, beneficiaries, executors, administrators, trustees, creditors, real property, or competing claims to estate assets.
Corcoran Smith Law represents clients in Los Angeles probate, trust, and inheritance disputes. We help clients understand the documents, the deadlines, the fiduciary duties, and the options before the matter moves further.
If something feels wrong, do not wait for the estate to move without you.
Probate disputes often begin with missing information, unexplained delays, sudden document changes, or property decisions that do not make sense.
Speak with counsel before you sign a waiver, consent to a distribution, or wait for the problem to resolve itself.
When to speak with a Los Angeles probate attorney
Probate disputes can change quickly. A missed objection, incomplete accounting, unexplained transfer, signed waiver, or delayed response can narrow your options before you understand the full estate picture.
You should speak with a lawyer promptly if:
- You received a probate petition, court notice, accounting, or proposed distribution
- You are being asked to sign a waiver, consent, settlement, or release
- An executor, administrator, or trustee is withholding information
- Estate property is being sold, transferred, occupied, or used without clear authority
- You suspect undue influence, fraud, or lack of capacity
- A will, trust, deed, or beneficiary designation does not match what you expected
- A fiduciary is delaying distribution without explanation
- Beneficiaries are being treated unequally
- Another party has hired a lawyer
Early legal review does not always mean filing first. It means understanding your position before someone else’s decision changes it.
Common probate disputes in Los Angeles
Probate puts one person in control of estate property while heirs and beneficiaries wait for information, decisions, and distributions. That structure can create conflict when records are incomplete, communication breaks down, or the fiduciary’s decisions appear to favor one person over another.
Common probate litigation issues include:
- Beneficiaries disagreeing over how an inheritance is distributed
- Executors or administrators accused of acting in their own interest
- Missing, incomplete, or delayed accountings
- Estate assets being inventoried or valued incorrectly
- Wills challenged because of undue influence, lack of capacity, fraud, or improper execution
- Disputes over whether property belongs to the estate, a trust, a surviving spouse, or another person
- Creditors making claims against the estate
- Trustees accused of breaching fiduciary duties
- Delays that prevent beneficiaries from receiving property or information
- Disagreements involving real estate, family businesses, or personal property
Not every disagreement requires court action. Some matters can be resolved through document review, a demand for information, an accounting objection, negotiation, or mediation. Others require a petition, objection, injunction, removal request, or other probate court remedy.
How long does probate take?
The timeline depends on the estate, the dispute, the court calendar, and the conduct of the parties.
A straightforward probate can take many months. A contested probate can take longer, especially when there are disputes over the will, fiduciary conduct, estate property, accountings, creditors, or distributions.
Delay can create real harm. Estate property may sit unmanaged. Beneficiaries may be unable to access funds. Real estate may lose value. A fiduciary may continue making decisions while beneficiaries wait for answers.
The best time to speak with counsel is before the dispute becomes harder to control.
What is trust litigation?
Trust litigation involves disputes over the administration, interpretation, or validity of a trust.
Trusts can help families avoid probate, but they do not eliminate every dispute. Beneficiaries may question whether a trustee is following the trust. Family members may dispute whether the person who created the trust had capacity. Someone may allege undue influence. Property may be claimed by both a trust and an estate.
Trust litigation often involves many of the same issues as probate litigation: fiduciary duties, accountings, property transfers, beneficiary rights, and court supervision.
What does a probate attorney do?
A probate attorney helps evaluate whether legal action is necessary and what form that action should take. In a contested probate or trust matter, counsel may help with:
- Reviewing wills, trusts, petitions, notices, deeds, and accountings
- Evaluating beneficiary and heir rights
- Determining whether an executor, administrator, or trustee has breached a fiduciary duty
- Investigating suspicious transfers or missing estate assets
- Objecting to accountings or proposed distributions
- Contesting or defending a will
- Seeking information from a fiduciary
- Protecting estate property while the dispute is pending
- Negotiating or mediating a resolution
- Filing probate court petitions when informal resolution is not enough
- Preparing the matter for hearing or trial when necessary
The goal is not to turn every family disagreement into litigation. The goal is to protect the client’s position and use the right legal tool at the right time.
Los Angeles probate and inheritance disputes
Corcoran Smith Law represents clients in probate, trust, and inheritance disputes involving Los Angeles families, Los Angeles County estates, and California property.
The Los Angeles Superior Court maintains probate resources for matters involving wills, estates, trusts, motions, ex parte applications, and probate filings. Los Angeles probate disputes may involve multiple properties, blended families, business interests, distant beneficiaries, or fiduciaries managing assets across California.
We represent clients in Los Angeles probate disputes while maintaining a statewide California practice.
We handle matters involving Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Long Beach, Torrance, Culver City, West Hollywood, and surrounding Los Angeles County communities.
Why Corcoran Smith Law Corp.
Probate litigation often involves grief, money, family history, and court deadlines at the same time. The lawyer’s role is to bring order to that pressure.
Corcoran Smith Law is a California firm with offices in Sacramento and San Francisco. We are veteran owned. The partner works the matter, and clients are not handed off to a junior associate after the first call.
We approach probate litigation through documents, duties, deadlines, and leverage. We do not treat the process as a shouting match. We identify what matters, what can be proven, and what step should come next.
Client reviews
What our clients say
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Nick and Mark were amazing to work with! Nick is such a nice man, and he was extremely knowledgeable and professional. He was passionate about his work, honest and very kind and supportive during my journey in contesting a trust. He communicated his strategies every step of the way and the documents he wrote were a testament to his commitment in helping me. Every T was crossed and every I was dotted. We had a good outcome, but even if we hadn’t, I would have been 100% satisfied with the effort he put into our case. I highly recommend this firm based on their professionalism, knowledge, commitment, honesty, and communication.
Kimberly Brink August 2025 · Google
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Corcoran Smith did an incredible job for us. We are so grateful we were referred to them and especially grateful for attorney Nick Jacobs. Nick was a pleasure to interact with and the perfect person to educate and guide our complicated family in creating a trust. Nick has a very kind, attentive manner. He treated all of us as equally important. He was extremely patient. His legal expertise was very reassuring. Nick clearly and calmly explained concepts that at first felt a little overwhelming. He made sure we all understood every step of the process as we went. Thanks to Nick we felt very empowered and confident we were making the correct decisions for us. Also, Mark Smith was extremely responsive and thoughtful with every interaction we had with the rest of the firm. I highly recommend Corcoran Smith. Nick Jacobs was wonderful!
Scott C Callaghan September 2025 · Google
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Attorney Jacobs was diligent, patient, knowledgeable and detailed in assisting me. Thank you Nick for your help with my legal matters. I highly recommend Nick Jacobs to anyone seeking legal assistance.
Crocks Supreme October 2024 · Google
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I am very grateful to Corcoran Smith Law Corp for their outstanding support with my legal matter. From the very beginning, my lawyer took the time to truly listen to my concerns and explained everything clearly so I could understand the process. Nick was patient, compassionate, and always kept me updated, which gave me peace of mind during a very stressful time. His communication was excellent. I never felt left in the dark and always knew what was happening with my case. I felt like I had someone genuinely on my side who cared about the outcome. I highly recommend him and the entire team at Corcoran Smith Law Corp for anyone who needs legal guidance. They are professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated to their clients.
Rosheil Major August 2025 · Google
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Couldn’t be more confident in their work. Return calls/emails quick and put in the effort to make things clear. Feels like they truly care about their clients best interests, even when that means less billable hours for them. Highly recommend.
Matthew Smith June 2026 · Google
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Corcoran Smith Law was extremely helpful in assisting me through my Father's trust while I was not only grieving my father, but having a difficult time trying to figure out how to navigate the process. I had met with a couple of other attorneys before we connected and had been left confused and frustrated. Nick made extra efforts to ensure that I understood what the options were and made great recommendations. Their pricing was very fair and didn't leave me feeling like I was being nickel and dimed through the process. This definitely helped me feel comfortable asking extra questions instead of guessing while navigating a completely foreign process. Thank you!
Jerald Scott November 2024 · Google
Free download
Know Your Rights as a California Beneficiary
When a trustee goes quiet, an accounting never comes, or a late amendment changes everything, the law still gives you specific rights and deadlines. Our plain-English guide explains what you are owed, the questions to ask, and the steps to take before you sign or accept anything.
Probate litigation by location
Inheritance dispute guidance across California
Choose your area for information about local probate courts, common inheritance disputes, and the options available to heirs and beneficiaries.
Talk to a Los Angeles probate attorney
A free consultation is the simplest place to start. Tell us what is going on, and we will help you understand where things stand.