URGENT, i recommend: Do Not hire David Simon for probate estate matters. Black Americans are dying because of Covid and estates are changing to survivors. If a proper trust is not in order, you will need an probate attorney.
My personal experience: Simon as my legal representative did not do his job.
He charged me over 45,000K and did not file one petition. I hired him to recoup fees from previous attorney hired to protect my inheritance and hold trustees accountable as they were spending estate funds.
Simon stated I had been charged excessively by former attorney, but when the house was sold, he used the excuse that it would hold up my inheritance. Later, I found out, Simon could have filed a petition to release part of my inheritance and have court hold up paying the previous attorney until evidence was presented on my behalf to contest those fees.
Simon took my case against this attorney, after reviewing my complaint: informing me there was just cause. Also, the trustees in our estate were dishonest and abusing estate funds. David vigorously told me he would scrutinize every expenditure and "trustees needed to cross every T and Dot every I". That did not happened.
To date, I have not received a copy of the daily expenditures conservators/trustees are required by law to keep during the conservatorship and after mom's death. By law, as an heir, I had rights to see those financial documents.
Also, I felt sad because Simon stated to me, after reviewing the conservatorship/trust financial expenditure records, I needed an attorney to fight on my behalf against my brother's Attorney Deborah L. Fox, because my due process was denied by her during the conservatorship.
Simon also said, my "family should all be dead" to me because they all lied on me claiming I was abusing my mother to gain control of her financial affairs for the personal gains was not true.
I consulted with an attorney before i filed my complaint with the State Bar and that attorney recommended that I should seek the assistance of the Bar. This complaint is still under review.
As I indicated to David Simon in several conversations, I was not satisfied with his job performance, he offered to return $2,000 in attorney fees if I signed a waiver that would prevent me from ever suing him. I did not sign the waiver. David Simon was hired in January and the house sold in March, no petitions were filed and his reporting to me that all the expenditures were legit was not acceptable to me.
As I was under stress because of how mother and I were mistreated by the other attorneys involved before her death and having to obtain an attorney after her death to protect my inheritance made me sick. You know when you are being cheated, but they have the power to get away with it.
Attorneys have the advantage, be careful, all attorneys do not cheat their clients.
Probate attorneys make big money when families refused to work together. Avoid probate court, if possible, set up a trust and even with a trust as in my family's case our brother through his attorney dismantled it, was stupid and greedy and because of that additional factor more easy money for all attorneys, especially his. My complaint is still under review with the State Bar.
Because of my personal experience I do not trust probate attorneys or the State Bar. They both work the loopholes to protect each other. The judges were prudent.
There is a click in the Justice System unfortunately. You need a stellar attorney to win, do not give UP. FIGHT, don't quit -- though its hard -- the truth always wins and justice will be served to those who think they are above the law. read more
