Top Best Estate Lawyers | 18160 Available

Kathryn Cockrill established her law firm, Law Office of Kathryn M. Cockrill, in 2015. Prior to establishing her law firm, Kathryn Cockrill managed Kuhn and Kuhn, LLC, for four years.  She has practiced probate and estate planning law for 14 years, first as a paralegal and then as an attorney.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a J.D. from Touro Law School in New York .  She passed the South Carolina Bar in 2009.  She is now a member of Wealth Counsel, a prominent nationwide organization of estate planning attorneys.. Mrs. Cockrill also had a prestigious Fellowship working with Judge Condon at the Charleston County Probate Court in 2008.  She is married and lives in Charleston.  She is an active member of the Cathedral Women’s Club at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral.  She loves to read and watch her beloved Connecticut Huskies in women’s (and men’s) basketball.

Sean provides legal counsel to clients when they have a need for guidance on any matters involving Real Estate, Estate Planning, or Business Structuring. He works closely with clients to understand the unique issues they are facing and to customize a solution for their individual needs. Prior to joining Hanger Law, Sean was a commercial real estate broker and specialized in negotiating leases and purchase contracts for retail developments and Class A office space. With nearly a decade of real estate experience as a REALTOR®, Sean brings to Hanger Law his extensive real estate knowledge and unique perspective on the law.. Sean studied law at Regent University where he graduated in the top 5% of his class. While there, he served as a Senior Editor for Regent University Law Review and worked as a graduate assistant for the director of Regent’s honors program.. Sean lives in Virginia Beach with his wife and two children and loves spending time with them all. When he has free time, Sean plays guitar for Trinity Church and snowboards in Colorado any chance he gets.

J. Douglas McCarthy is a founding partner of McCarthy & Akers, PLC. His practice focuses on transactional law dealing with Estate Planning, Real Estate and Corporate matters. Prior to founding McCarthy & Akers, PLC, Mr. McCarthy was a partner in the Winchester, Virginia law firm of Groves and McCarthy.. Mr. McCarthy received his J.D. from the Keller School of Law at The University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned honors in the fields of Taxation, Wills and Trusts. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he majored in Political Science.

Levi Norton is a graduate of The George Washington University and Regent University School of Law. He is a member of the Virginia Bar and former prosecutor. Early in his career, Levi spent two decades working throughout the tropics and polar regions, but his true passion is helping families, businesses and property owners with their legal needs here in Virginia.. Levi is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing and cross country motorcycle racing with his wife and 2 children.. Levi’s areas of practice include:

Glenloch Legal focuses primarily on assisting individuals, families and business owners with their estate planning, business and real estate legal matters. The highly rated legal team at Glenloch Legal have provided clients in Frederick and surrounding counites with top-notch legal services paired with personal attention and reasonable pricing. We provide individuals, families and small businesses with the legal support to plan and navigate life’s challenges.. Our firm provides comprehensive legal services to small and mid-size businesses. We have the background and experience to provide you with traditional in-house counsel guidance on transaction matters to include business formation, buy / sell agreements and transactions, mergers and acquisitions, entity changes, contract drafting, review and negotiations, writing and review successor planning for small businesses, real estate transactions, lease negotiations, maintaining state mandated business records, human resource matters such as proper termination procedures, creating employee manuals, confidentiality agreements, and non-compete agreements.. Our estate planning legal team recommends and crafts customized solutions to help our clients reach their desired goals. We recognize that estate, trust and probate matters are not only about assets; they are about protecting people and their rights, and preserving family relationships. We provide comprehensive estate planning services that will guard against the unpredictable, avoid unnecessary expenses and risks to their estates and assets, help avoid probate, and leave instructions you feel confident about. Our attorneys have the knowledge and experience you can trust to handle all of your estate planning, probate, and estate administration concerns.. Call today and schedule your free initial consultation.

I am a solo attorney, currently running my own a virtual law office. In case you are trying to sound it out, my first name is pronounced “Joy-tee,” a Sanskrit word. I very happily call the Mojave Desert of Southern California home of nearly 20 years.. I obtained my Juris Doctor degree from University of San Diego School of Law, 2013. Before I went lawyering, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from CSU San Bernardino, 2009. I’ve spent a great deal of time gathering all the varied legal experience I can, including working for the Family Law Courthouse in San Diego, the San Diego Public Defender and the Civil Clinic of University of San Diego.. The beating heart behind my law practice is the simple pleasure I take in helping people. I take the well-being of each of my clients very seriously, and I will run the extra mile to make sure you get the absolute best legal service I can provide.

I am the Daughter of an attorney and knew that this is what I always wanted to do.  I made a point to get an LL.M in Taxation after my law degree to better understand the various tax implications of estate planning and law.  I volunteer for the terminally ill in estate planning and tax matters and have for a few groups for 23 years or more.  One of my cases involved a wretched case of Elder Abuse and I pursued it for 7 years, 1997-2005.  I took it personally and stood up for Harold because no one else would.  Elder Abuse is pernicious and not to be tolerated.  In addition, I work with Special Needs Trusts to protect potential assets of those with special needs. It is a big part of what motivates me.. I was raised in San Francisco but went to High School here in Danville, where I now live with my family.  I have listed some litigation cases to show my general experience but they were cases that were filed so were public record.  On the other hand, my estate planning clients are very important to me. Their privacy and confidentiality are critical to me so you will not see me list the many cases or estate plans I have done because I will not 'name names' for better publicity or scores.  Their privacy, like yours, is more important.

As the attorney at The Law Office of Daniel L. DuRee, Mr. DuRee understands the importance of estate and incapacity planning for clients of all ages. He provides dedicated estate planning and trust administration services to people and families in the Larkspur, Marin County, Mountain View, San Francisco and Walnut Creek, California, areas. If they cannot make it to one of his office locations, Mr. DuRee will arrange to meet with clients at the hospital, their homes or their places of employment.. In 2004, Mr. DuRee earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. He went on to receive a Juris Doctor from the University of California Hastings College of the Law.. Working to understand their legal issues, as well as their complex and unique family dynamics, Mr. DuRee helps his clients create plans that accomplish their goals and carry out their final wishes. Guiding people through the estate planning process, he explains how living trusts, wills and other estate planning documents can be used to protect and pass on their assets, as well as ensure their needs will be met in the event of physical or mental incapacity. Mr. DuRee also aids people with trust amendments and guides them through the probate process to help minimize government interference and address their tax liabilities.. Staying active in the legal community, Mr. DuRee is a member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association’s Estate Planning & Probate Section and the California Lawyers Association’s Trust and Estates Section. Sharing his knowledge of estate law-related topics with others, he has had articles included in the Martinez News-Gazette, the Clayton Pioneer, the East Bay Times and the San Jose Mercury News, among other publications.

Ryan is a graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law. During his studies he was awarded certificates with distinction in Labor & Employment Law as well as Public Interest Law.. During law school Ryan represented low-wage workers at an employment rights clinic. He spent his second summer of law school investigating charges of unfair labor practices at the National Labor Relations Board. Ryan gained further experience working for a federal magistrate judge as a legal intern and teaching assistant for the judge’s evidence course at Golden Gate University. Additionally, he learned valuable litigation experience preparing for trial at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ryan has also represented thousands of Bay Area school employees through collective bargaining.. Prior to law school, Ryan graduated with distinction from San Diego State University with a BA in International Security and Conflict Resolution, specializing in Global Systems. Ryan performed a year of service in the Americorps *VISTA program where he was assigned to the International Rescue Committee. There he helped run an after school program for refugee teenagers in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood.. Bar Membership. State Bar of California, No. 303197, admitted 2015. Professional Affiliations. Member of the Contra Costa Bar Association. •  Estate Planning & Probate Section. •  Employment Section. •  Barristers Section

Kelley Way was born and raised in Walnut Creek, California. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in English, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Kelley is a member of the California Bar, and an aspiring writer of young adult fantasy novels. She can be contacted at

I am an estate planning attorney in the East Bay. I live with my husband, Jim, my son Benjamin, and two dogs, Penny and Biggie.. I received both my B.A., summa cum laude, and my law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. I spent my last year of law school studying at Harvard Law School, and graduated at the top of my class.. Prior to entering the private practice of law, I was the first Planned Giving Officer at U.C. Berkeley’s Law School. In this position, I helped the school’s most prestigious donors with their bequests and other estate gifts to the University.. My current practice is exclusively estate planning, including Wills, Trusts, Probate and Medi-Cal planning. I have helped hundreds of Bay Area families with their estates and trusts. I also regularly assists clients without long term care insurance who need skilled nursing care to become qualified for Medi-Cal.. I am a Board Member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association Elder Law Committee.. I served as the Chair of the City of Lafayette's Senior Services Commission. As Chair, I worked to prevent elder fraud and abuse and to bring services to seniors in my community. I also served on the Contra Costa Advisory Council on Aging.. I believe that young children should be taught strong money skills and how to save for a “rainy day.” I volunteered with Junior Achievement to teach financial literacy to elementary and middle school students. I am also a frequent speaker at parent groups, where we discusses ways parents can teach their children the basics about money.

Christopher Schneider is one of the founding partners of Dorband & Schneider. He passed the California Bar Exam in 2008 and has been practicing primarily in the areas of estate planning and taxation.. Chris was born and raised in the East Bay, graduated from Acalanes High School in 1999 and completed his Bachelor’s from St. Mary’s College in 2003. After graduation he worked for Scott Valley Bank in Walnut Creek as a credit analyst while completing his MBA in finance at St. Mary’s.. Chris attended law school at Golden Gate University where he concentrated in the area of taxation. In 2010, he completed his Masters of Law degree in Taxation. He is one of only 6 attorneys in Contra Costa County that is a certified specialist in Estate Planning and Taxation. Chris is an avid landscape photographer as well as a licensed private pilot.. Today, most of Chris' time outside the office is spent with his wife Jennifer, his son Joseph and daughter Jacqueline.

Brandon Lee Spivack began his legal career in California in 2013 after receiving his LL.M. from the nationally recognized Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning and Tax. As an associate attorney at Gresham Savage Nolan &Tilden, Brandon had many opportunities to learn and expand his expertise beyond estate planning because of the support of his colleagues. Brandon learned the intricacies of proper business planning from his experienced colleagues in the business and tax departments. Other attorneys and staff in the real estate department taught Brandon how to confront challenging title issues that can arise during a probate or trust administration. His mentor and boss in the estate planning department demonstrated to Brandon how to pragmatically approach common and uncommon planning issues. Before leaving Gresham Savage, Brandon gained the knowledge and confidence to become a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the California State Bar, Board of Legal Specialization.. In 2018, Brandon moved his family to Walnut Creek to pursue an opportunity with one of California’s most reputable estate planning firms, Hartog Baer & Hand. As an associate in the planning department, Brandon spent most of his time handling tax issues for clients with significant wealth. He worked with clients to prepare Private Letter Ruling requests; devise and execute estate freezes; draft and file IRS Forms 706, 709, and 1041; and review business structures for tax planning opportunities. Brandon strengthened his skills as a tax attorney through the unique opportunities he received at HBH.. In both Northern California and Southern California, Brandon has had the privilege of working with charitable organizations and philanthropic clients to facilitate lifetime and testamentary gifting. He has worked closely with various Community Foundations to create Donor Advised Funds; draft charitable trusts; review pledge agreements, and establish charitable organizations. Brandon advises clients on entity governance, including mandatory reporting and compliance procedures to ensure charitable organizations maintain their good standing and tax-exempt status with the state and the federal government.. In 2019 and 2020, Brandon was recognized by his peers as a Rising Star. This award is given to 2.5 percent of attorneys below the age of 40 in California.

Daniel T. Quane manages Doyle Quane's Family Trusts and Estates practice. Dan is a Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate Law.. He has advanced legal degrees in Taxation (LL.M.) and Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law (LL.M.) and he was named Super Lawyer’s Rising Star in 2015 and 2016 and Super Lawyer in 2021, 2022, and 2023.. He works with a diverse range of clients, from those of average means to wealthy families requiring complex advanced estate tax planning strategies.. Dan has experience guiding families through the complex legal process required upon death in the most efficient manner possible, whether it’s through trust administration or the probate court process. He also enjoys the often unique task of working with blended families through the use of marital agreements in conjunction with estate planning in order to ensure that both parties’ children are treated as intended.. Dan is married with two young sons. He’s an avid sports enthusiast and huge supporter of the Golden State Warriors. He also enjoys the great outdoors and spending time with friends and family.. Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Probate, Trust Administration, Marital (Prenuptial and Postnuptial) Agreements, Business Entity Formation. Attorney License: California. Undergraduate Degree: University of California, Davis, B.A.. Law Degree: University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, J.D. with distinction. Advanced Law Degree: Golden Gate University, LL.M. in Taxation with honors and LL.M. in Estate Planning with Honors. Academic Achievements: Traynor Honor Society Order of the Coif. Externship: U.S. Bankruptcy Court – Judge Christopher M. Klein. Professional Memberships: California State Bar Association Contra Costa Bar Association California Bar – Trusts & Estates Section East Bay Trusts & Estates Lawyers. Hometown: Danville, CA