Tag: San Bernardino County Superior Court

Another Broad Reading of the Elder Abuse Act Protects Seniors

We “ring” in 2022 with a recent case that again shows the long reach of statutory financial elder abuse claims in California trust and estate litigation. In Ring v. Harmon (2021) ___ Cal.App.5th ___, the Court of Appeal considered an alleged loan scheme to drain equity out of a house held in a probate estate. … Continue Reading

California Court May Award Attorney’s Fees to Financial Elder Abuse Plaintiff Who Does Not Prove Damages

A new case from the Court of Appeal once again illustrates the robust nature of claims under California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, also known as the Elder Abuse Act. In Arace v. Medico Investments, LLC (2020) 48 Cal.App.5th 977, a San Bernardino County jury found the owner of a residential care … Continue Reading

Beware of Dormant Creditor Claims in California Probate Cases

California’s probate process aims to expeditiously identify and resolve the claims of creditors against decedents.  Creditors who are unsophisticated, or who simply do not learn of the decedent’s passing, may find themselves with an uncollectable claim against an otherwise solvent estate.  You snooze, you lose. On the other hand, once a creditor makes a claim … Continue Reading

Doctors Who Disobey Health Care Agents in California May Be Liable for Elder Abuse

A recent California appellate case, Stewart v. Superior Court (2017) 16 Cal.App.5th 87, validates the primacy of medical powers of attorney and (as they are more currently known) advance health care directives.  Medical providers who disregard the instructions of duly-appointed health care agents by providing unauthorized treatment may be liable in California for elder abuse … Continue Reading
LexBlog