The RegistryCounty Record · California

Estate Planning Attorneys in Tuolumne County, California

Looking for a estate planning attorney near you in Tuolumne County? Explore the county record for estate planning attorneys on the State Bar of California's official roll and review each profile for yourself.

A Gold Country county reaching from the Mother Lode towns along Highway 49 into Yosemite's northern high country; a new courthouse in Sonora, the county's only incorporated city, opened in 2021. The court of record is the Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne — counsel who appear there regularly read the local calendar better than any brochure.

Before comparing counsel, note the clock. Under Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.8, the governing period is 120 days to contest a trust after the trustee's statutory notice. 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).

This page is the Tuolumne 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 Tuolumne.

County seat: Sonora

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov

Estate Planning · Tuolumne County roster

21 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list estate planning among their practice areas with an address of record in Tuolumne County.

18 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Sonora (16), Twain Harte (2), Groveland (1) and Mi Wuk Village (1).

1 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.

Admission years on this roster run from 1976 to 2024.

The employers most represented here are Dambacher, Trujillo & Associates, APLC (3) and MeyerPink Law, LLP (3).

Erik Andal

Bankruptcy · Sonora

Bar #338207 · Admitted 2021

Official record

Sally K. Chenault

Business Litigation · Sonora

Bar #122184 · Admitted 1985

Official record

Michael R. Germain

Business Litigation · Twain Harte

Bar #133553 · Admitted 1988

Official record

Scott Hales

Business Litigation · Sonora

Bar #288858 · Admitted 2013

Official record

Riley E. Hemm

Business Litigation · Sonora

Bar #358404 · Admitted 2024

Official record

Jennifer J. Lothert

Business Litigation · Soulsbyville

Bar #225776 · Admitted 2003

Official record

Mary E. McEwen

Business Litigation · Sonora

Bar #318275 · Admitted 2017

Official record

Carrie M. McKernan

Business Litigation · Sonora

Bar #310253 · Admitted 2016

Official record

Brandon L. Meyer

Business Litigation · Sonora

Bar #274099 · Admitted 2010

Official record

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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

Related counsel in Tuolumne County

Estate Planning in nearby counties

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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