Geoffrey Charles Stuart Adams
Estate Planning · San Francisco
Bar #49985 · Admitted 1972
Official record
The RegistryCounty Record · California
Estate Planning Attorneys in San Francisco County, California
Looking for a estate planning attorney near you in San Francisco County? Explore the county record for estate planning attorneys on the State Bar of California's official roll and review each profile for yourself.
The state's only consolidated city and county, and the seat of the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the State Bar of California. Venue for most estate planning matters arising in the county lies with the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, seated at San Francisco.
The law also keeps time: 120 days to contest a trust after the trustee's statutory notice under Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.8. A trustee's notification under Prob. Code § 16061.7 starts a 120-day contest window. Creditor claims in probate are generally barred one year after death (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 366.2). The plaque below carries the citation; the roster that follows carries the rest.
This page is the San Francisco County chapter of the registry's statewide record — Estate Planning Lawyers in California collects all 58 counties.
The clock & the court
Statute of limitations
120 days to contest a trust after the trustee's statutory notice.
Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.8
A trustee's notification under Prob. Code § 16061.7 starts a 120-day contest window. Creditor claims in probate are generally barred one year after death (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 366.2).
Court of record
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.
County seat: San Francisco
Official court information, locations, and filing rules: sf.courts.ca.gov
Estate Planning · San Francisco County roster
638 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list estate planning among their practice areas with an address of record in San Francisco County.
615 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The roster concentrates in San Francisco (635), San Franciscoq (1), San Jose (1) and San Luis Obispo (1).
51 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation — a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.
32 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Admission years on this roster run from 1961 to 2025.
The employers most represented here are JKZ LLP (15), Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP (14) and Shartsis Friese LLP (9).
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Estate Planning questions, cited
What makes a will valid in California?
A formal will must be in writing, signed by the testator, and witnessed by two people present at the same time who understand it is a will (Cal. Prob. Code § 6110). A holographic will — with the signature and material terms in the testator's own handwriting — needs no witnesses (Cal. Prob. Code § 6111). California also offers a fill-in statutory will form (Prob. Code § 6240).
Does a living trust avoid probate in California?
Assets properly titled in a revocable living trust pass under the trust's terms without probate administration — the successor trustee distributes them per Cal. Prob. Code §§ 16000 et seq. The trust only works for assets actually transferred into it; property left outside may still require probate unless it fits the small-estate procedures or passes by beneficiary designation.
When is probate required in California, and can a small estate skip it?
Probate is generally required when a decedent's California property exceeds the small-estate threshold of Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 — $184,500 for deaths on or after April 1, 2022, adjusted periodically. Below it, successors can collect assets by affidavit 40 days after death. Real property has separate simplified procedures (Prob. Code §§ 13150, 13200) at lower value limits.
How long do I have to contest a trust or a will in California?
For a trust, 120 days after the trustee serves the notification required by Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.7 (or 60 days after receiving the trust terms on request, if later) — Prob. Code § 16061.8. A will contest is filed before admission to probate or, after admission, within 120 days (Cal. Prob. Code § 8270). Missing these windows usually ends the challenge.
What happens if I die without a will in California?
Your estate passes by intestate succession under Cal. Prob. Code §§ 6400 et seq. Community property goes to the surviving spouse; separate property is divided among spouse, children, parents, or siblings by statutory formula. The court chooses the administrator and heirs are fixed by statute rather than by your wishes — the situation an estate plan exists to prevent.
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Estate Planning by city in San Francisco County
Related counsel in San Francisco County
Estate Planning in nearby counties
Estate Planning in Alameda CountySeat: OaklandEstate Planning in Santa Clara CountySeat: San JoseEstate Planning in Sonoma CountySeat: Santa RosaEstate Planning in San Diego CountySeat: San DiegoEstate Planning in Los Angeles CountySeat: Los AngelesEstate Planning Lawyers in CaliforniaStatewide record
Source: Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.8 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.
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