Ms. Malkin ran up very, very large fees of what is described as acceptable billing (because it is…read moredocumented) but I never received a single bill showing minutes and hours. In addition to legal hours, she charged the estate for unapproved expenses. If you go with Ms. Malkin, do your best to be sure you do not authorize her to charge any time or court fees without approval, though it's unlikely she will comply with your requests. In addition to financial lack of accountability, she seems to have difficulty sticking to a simple list of what has to be completed to close probate. 5 years in and probate is not closed. I would recommend finding another lawyer.

Debbie Malkin is the best. I've known her as a fellow adoptive mom for years. She's super smart,…read morehardworking, and has a big heart. It's a pleasure to work with her.

I highly recommend the lawyer Philip L. Buckwalter. He is a an estate lawyer that combines…read moresensitivity with effectiveness. Initially he was responsible for finding the Trustee of my mother's Trust. That person disappeared without leaving any contact information. He was then able to initiate the legal process of my Mother's Trust, executing it exactly as she intended. We communicated almost exclusively through email, because I live 3000 miles away... and there were no difficulties in this long-distance alliance. I thank him for his professionalism, and the results he produced.

I retained Holder Law in July 2026 for an urgent conservatorship and trust matter involving my…read moreelderly father, who has dementia and is in need of professional care. Unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing. I paid a $3,500 retainer and provided extensive medical, financial, trust, and conservatorship documentation. Despite the urgency of the situation, progress was very slow and communication was poor. I only spoke directly with Mr. Holder during the initial consultation and again when I decided to terminate his services, despite several requests for updates. After approximately two months, I received a working draft of the petition that I felt did not adequately reflect the information and documentation I had provided. At that point, I had lost confidence in the representation and terminated the firm. I requested an invoice and refund. The final invoice used the entire $3,500 retainer, including $870 for two hours spent drafting the petition, and I received no refund. I understand attorneys charge for their time, but based on the communication, progress, and work product I received, I do not believe my father's $3,500 was money well spent. At the initial consultation, my recollection is that Mr. Holder told me the petition could be completed in approximately seven hours. After two months, the draft I received was still far from complete. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this attorney.

My wife and I hired Kathy in 2017 after being referred by friends. She was wonderful throughout…read morethe entire process. All communication was done in an extremely professional and timely manner. We always felt like she had our best interest in mind and with her experience and guidance we were able to get through everything with no issues. She has a lot of experience and was always ahead of the possible issues that could arise. We are forever grateful for her guidance and support. We highly recommend her services. We would certainly use her services again and we'll definitely refer her to our friends.

Well - I am not sure what Jesse's problem is or was, but I had a very opposite experience with…read moreKathy. Kathy took such great care of my wife and I through our whole process. She communicated often and was never out of reach. Emails or requests for phone calls were handled promptly. We were never left to fend for ourselves. She carries herself in a very professional manner and is an expert in her field. I believe she charges fairly for her time and effort put into a case. She was by our side the entire way through the immigration process. I would very highly recommend Kathy to anyone looking to source and attorney for immigration related reasons. Out of all of the attorneys that my wife and I spoke to before hand, we went with Kathy for a reason. We were not disappointed in the least. Thank you Kathy!!!

This practice has been taken over by Nicolle Nelson. Ms. Nelson has been amazing assisting me with…read moremy aunt's estate. I highly recommend her.

I had a negative experience with Ms Des Jardins's office but before reading her yelp reviews I sent…read morethem an email to see if they care to respond. When they ignored me I came to yelp and saw the alarming review one reviewer had left so I decided to write about my experience. I called the office to make an appointment to set up a trust and and possibly conservatorship for my elderly neighbors who are having memory issues. I was asked by their family who are out of town and Adult Protective Services of Santa Cruz County to help. My neighbors had already gone to Ms Des Jardins before (APS had recommended her) but had forgotten to keep their follow up appointment. When I called the office the person who called herself a receptionist could not find the record of the previous meeting. Then she proceeded to grill me about my neighbors for a good half an hour without telling me whether or not she was going to schedule an appointment. At first she said she might be able to squeeze us in next week. As she asked more questions she said the lawyer will be on vacation next week. Then one week became one and a half weeks. She became more and more reluctant to give us an appointment and when I said if they have a problem they should talk to APS who recommended them she said oh no, we don't talk to APS! When I would ask her a question she would brush it off with "I'm just the receptionist." Some receptionist! She was clearly screening clients. I was very disappointed that first, the office had lost my neighbors' record. Second, as an office that claims to specialize in elder law they seemed unable and unwilling to deal with real issues of real older people. Third, they would not give me a straight answer. I kept saying will you give us an appointment, yes or no? And the "receptionist" would hem and haw about the attorney's vacation and speaking engagements and very busy schedule. By the time she offered me a reluctant appointment three weeks down the line I had lost all confidence in this office. As a previous reviewer mentioned when you are dealing with the needs of elderly people who need a lot of care and honesty, trust is very important. If a lawyer or her office does not inspire trust, forget it. I called APS and told them my experience and proceeded to find an attorney that inspires trust. They do exist out there, you know!

We worked with Jill in a very difficult divorce case and she was great! She worked very hard to…read moremaintain a professional relationship with both of us and I know that it wasn't always easy. As far as the documentation and process of having everything done in a timely manner, she was extremely efficient and clear about everything that we needed to do. I would definitely recommend her to anyone else who would be going through this process.

there are no words how wonderful Jill was. I am blown away how fast easy and efficient this divorce…read morewas and it had a lot to do with her and her knowledge and professionalism. I'm so grateful thank you so much Jill and you are a five star recommendation

Sue Dodd is the best in the west! She is extremely knowledgeable and extremely professional, not to…read moremention very kind. I feel very comfortable with Sue and know I am in good hands! Sue is timely as well. I highly recommend Dodd Priority!

Doesn't return important calls from a client who has been contacted by the IRS post 2024 returns.read more

I recommend Mitchell Jackman without reservation! Our…read morebrother has a Special Needs Trust, and due to an injury, collects SSI and Medical. Mitchell's depth and breadth of knowledge of these subjects, immediately put us at ease. He reviewed the trust, and thoroughly explained these subtle and complex subjects. He presented options for our next steps. We were very satisfied. Recently we read very troubling information about SSI, Medical, ,and housing. Mitchell, in a few succinct sentences, explained and clarified how our situation was different, and alleviated our fears. He is a master of his field.

Mitchell is extremely thorough & knowledgable. I am not sure…read morewhat type of law he specializes in besides, probate, trust & special needs trust but he is definitely the go to lawyer for those areas. As he is currently on the Board of Directors for a local charity that specializes in helping families who have family members with special needs. As recommended, I went to him and was very happy. Not only was he thorough and complete, he was able to negotiate a suitable arrangement with my very divisive ex-wife in regards to the conservatorship of our daughter. Mitchell is very thorough & very much a true professional. Highly recommended.

Jesse Rubin is hands-down one of the best litigators in Santa Cruz County, especially if you're…read moredealing with a high-conflict divorce. Over the past year, I've been incredibly impressed with Jesse and his team. They are organized, responsive, and have become a well-oiled machine through multiple complicated proceedings. What I appreciate most about Jesse is that he knows when to fight and when not to. When something truly matters, he will advocate fiercely for you, and his courtroom skills are unparalleled. He speaks eloquently, knows the law, and supports his arguments with the appropriate Family and Civil Code in a way judges appreciate and understand. At the same time, he recognizes that not everything is worth fighting over. He encourages settlement and compromise when appropriate and understands that sometimes the "tranquility tax" is worth it to protect your financial and mental well-being. My best advice: use Jesse as your lawyer, not your therapist. He'll tell you to take the emotional side of divorce to a counselor--and he's right. Come to him directly with what you want to accomplish, and he'll tell you what's realistic and the best strategy to get there. If you're facing a difficult or high-conflict divorce, Jesse is absolutely the person I would want on my team.

When I called Jesse for my initial consult, I was scared and in fear for the safety of me and my…read morechildren. He made himself available immediately that day. From the moment I showed up at his office for our first meeting I knew I was in the best hands. Jesse and his entire team have stuck with me through the ups and downs, divorce, custody, and multiple restraining orders. He has gone above and beyond to protect me and most importantly my children. He never gave up and never backed down. He is respectful in court even in a high conflict situation. Jesse will tell you things straight, direct and keep you on track. Going through the trauma of abuse is hard. You don't always think straight, and emotions can get in the way of making rational decisions. Trust me you need Jesse, who is not afraid to redirect you and keep you focused. He knows what needs to be done and he does it. Jesse is also willing to listen and collaborate. He is conscious of time and cost and honest about it. He will tell you right out of the gate that he is not a life coach, however, HE TRULY DOES CARE. Most importantly I trust him and his entire team. They make themselves available no matter what. The smartest thing I did was hire Jesse and I am beyond grateful to him for everything he has done for me and my children. Jesse and his team have decades of experience, they are ethical and moral and tough as nails. Jesse gets results and he sets real expectations. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with high conflict divorce cases especially when children are involved. I would not have wanted anyone else by my side than Jesse and his team. I am forever grateful Jesse and team for always sticking by me and focusing on what is right.