When Death enters your life, a good lawyer can make all the difference

While my posts are typically technical in nature, I started this site to provide a forum in which I could describe my solution for any problem which I encounter.  That being so, I wish to briefly share my experiences regarding an unexpected death in the family and to provide well-earned kudos to the lawyer who advised me with regards to the morass which is California Probate Law.

In my case, the decedent left no will, a financially complicated estate, and a challenging significant other.  While internet research was wonderful for identifying the what of the law, it was less helpful in explaining how and why a particular course of action should be taken.  I used Nolo's lawyer directory (here) to find local lawyers who specialized in California probate law.  Because I had time constraints, I initially chose another lawyer from the list who was immediately available.  However, that lawyer chose not to take on the work due his workload.  My second choice (again, due only to availability) was Gadi Zohar.  His professionalism, demeanor, and knowledge were invaluable and the reason I am writing this post.

The following is the review I submitted to Yelp.  I have also chosen to post it here because I have heard of too many situations (real and anecdotal) where valid and valuable Yelp reviews are not published.  Rather than risk that occurring, posting here seemed the next best thing.

Due to a recent death in the family, I needed to get advice about how to process the decedent’s estate.  I initially researched my questions using a copy of California’s probate law, but there was still uncertainty about how to proceed.  Using Nolo’s lawyer search feature, I found Gadi Zohar.  During an initial 30 minute call, Mr. Zohar listened carefully to my concerns and questions and responded with clear and understandable information.  For those topics which I had already researched, Mr. Zohar’s advice matched my findings.  This gave me the confidence to trust his advice for the topics which I had not yet researched.  Not only did he explain what the law said, he also advised me about how best to proceed.

Mr. Zohar’s approach is warm and professional, and appropriate when dealing with grieving relatives.  In addition, he did not use the call as an opportunity to up-sell his services, but instead was clear and up-front about the cost for his assistance, the type of assistance he could provide, and his availability.

I strongly recommend Mr. Zohar's services for anyone who needs legal help to deal with California's probate process.