The members of the Estate & Trust Litigation Group at Henderson, Caverly & Pum LLP are recognized as premier practitioners in representing beneficiaries, trustees, charitable organizations and many other parties with interests in decedent’s estates and trust assets. The Firm distinguishes itself from its competition in that Henderson, Caverly & Pum LLP does not staff its Estate & Trust Litigation matters with estate planners. Instead, the Firm has a team of seasoned litigators that have devoted themselves to litigating issues that arise in Estate and Trust Litigation.
The head of the Group is Kristen E. Caverly, who has tried numerous jury trials to verdict and has also become a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Likewise, Shirley L. Kovar has obtained her Certification as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law while developing her skills as a seasoned estate and trust litigator. Collectively speaking, the members of the Estate & Trust Litigation Group have decades of experience in litigating the many issues that can arise when various parties have divergent views on the scope, intent, or enforceability of a will or trust document. With Maria Pum and Lisa Roper, The Estate & Trust Litigation Practice Group are as comfortable cross-examining a difficult witness as they are in understanding the intricacies of a complex trust document. This enables them to explain matters of probate law to judges and juries while presenting evidence effectively and thoroughly.
In sum, the members of the Estate & Trust Litigation Group are well-equipped to handle every aspect of estate and trust litigation, including disputes over beneficial interests in trusts and estates, the management and administration of trusts, the investment of trust assets, the management of family business after the death of a key family member, and a host of other challenges that arise in the estate and trust arena. The practice of the Group also extends, in appropriate cases, to advising trustees, executors and other fiduciaries on how to discharge their duties in order to minimize their personal liability exposure and to reduce the potential for conflicts with beneficiaries and other interested parties.
