I was born and raised in Napa, California, and now live in the Los Angeles area. I pursued my undergraduate studies at Occidental College, where I earned a BA in Politics. Following that, I attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, graduating in the top 10% of my division.
Currently, I am licensed to practice law in ten states and have dedicated my entire career to litigation, with a significant amount of experience in probate court.
My philosophy revolves around not just providing outstanding legal services but also being accessible to my clients. I understand that people seek legal assistance because they face issues that are difficult and they require clear and timely solutions to these issues.
To ensure that I am available and can communicate clearly, I take on only a limited number of cases each month. Clients who retain my services receive my personal cell phone number, ensuring they can reach me anytime.
My practice is now exclusively focused on probate and trust administration, as well as probate and trust contests. I do not work on an hourly retainer basis; instead, I operate solely on statutory probate fees or on a contingency fee basis. I do not charge for initial consultations.
My goal is to get to know my clients and have my clients get to know me. An attorney-client relationship is one that must be built on trust. I view my cases as a partnership with my client and I look forward to finding creative solutions to the issues presented. Please feel free to give me a call or email and let me know what I can do to help you in your particular situation.
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Trust Litigation
- Trust Administration
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Free Consultation
Probate administration fees are statutorily set. -
Contingent Fees
If there is a dispute over who is entitled to what assets in a probate or trust, then a contingency fee can be arranged where no retainer would be paid up front by the client.
- California
- State Bar of California
- ID Number: 220361
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- Florida
- The Florida Bar
- ID Number: 692158
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- Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
- ID Number: 672226
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- Michigan
- State Bar of Michigan
- ID Number: P81724
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- Minnesota
- Minnesota Supreme Court
- ID Number: 0505937
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- New Jersey
- New Jersey Courts
- ID Number: 312092022
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- North Carolina
- North Carolina State Bar
- ID Number: 60538
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- Ohio
- Supreme Court of Ohio Office of Attorney Services
- ID Number: 0102767
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- Tennessee
- Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee
- ID Number: 042659
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- Texas
- State Bar of Texas
- ID Number: 24064192
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Founder and Managing Member
- MiltonLaw
- - Current
- Managing Partner
- Milton and DeKruif
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- Founding member and managing partner
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
- J.D. (2001)
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- Honors: Order of Coif; St. Thomas More Honor Society; Multiple American Jurisprudence Awards; Graduated in top 10% of division
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- Occidental College
- B.A. (1993) | Politics
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- Activities: Football, Rugby, Lacrosse
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- Beverly Hills Bar Association
- - Current
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- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- - Current
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- Q. Does a revocable trust with all assets mean a will must be filed in California?
- A: The short answer is most likely not. It depends however on what the assets are that are not directly titled in the name of the trust. What you are describing is commonly referred to as a "Pour Over Will." What that means is that any assets that are not titled in the name of the trust and still titled in your mother's name should be inherited by the trust itself. If there is a house, stocks, bonds, cars, bank accounts or other items that are owned still by your mother (not personal property like dishes or furniture in the house that do not have actual title) then probate may need to be opened. There are nuisances that could affect this opinion and it is best to schedule a consultation ... Read More
- Q. How to object to probate petition if not included by sister?
- A: You need to file a Petition to Determine Heirship. Your best option is to see the assistance of a qualified attorney who can put together the legal documents, support the pleading with appropriate legal authority and admissible evidence, file that Petition with the court and set it for a hearing. If you would like a free consultation, please feel free to reach out to MiltonLaw.
- Q. How to contest a possibly fraudulent will in CA probate court?
- A: Step 1: Hire a probate litigator. Attorneys will work either on an hourly basis or on a contingency basis. Hourly retainers can range from $250 to $750 an hour. Contingency fee agreements mean that you are giving up a percentage of the net estate that you recover. Typically you would give up 33.33% to 45% of the estate that is recovered on a contingency fee basis.
Step 2: Work with the attorney to gather documents to support your case. You need a theory as to what is fraudulent about the will. How was it defective? Was it not properly witnessed? Was the signature forged? Did your mother lack the mental capacity to sign the will? Was there undue influence or coercion forcing her ... Read More
