Alameda County Superior Court

California trust disputes often involve allegations that trustees should be removed and suspended because they are acting improperly or have conflicts of interest.

Attorney Denise Chambliss, author of an informative article on trustee removal, spoke with me on Trust Me!, the podcast of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association. 

Stop SignCalifornia’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act is elastic enough to encompass claims arising from sharp insurance sales practices, even when elders do not pay anything directly to the agents.  So concluded the First District Court of Appeal earlier this month in Mahan v. Charles W. Chan Insurance Agency, Inc. (2017) 12 Cal.App.5th 442.

The Mahan opinion provides a helpful historical overview of the Elder Abuse Act in addition to affirming the long reach of the protective statute.  As elder abuse claims become increasingly common in California trust and estate litigation, this will be an often-cited case.