Many of Our Clients are Grateful for Our Support and Dedication

Given the conduct of his father-in-law over his 62-year marriage and most recently the way he acted in the last couple of years of his life, attorney Jeff Kane knew his mother-in-law’s case could not be resolved with just any Probate or Trust attorney.  He needed someone who specialized in litigation.  “A mistake could end up costing you a lot of money and even more than that, it might cost you the sense of justice that is so important to some people.  I knew that my mother-in-law, because of her age, would have ended up accepting far less than what she should have expected.” 

Pat and Joe married when they were both just 18 years old.  They had been married for over 60 years when Joe passed away.  During the course of their marriage they had five children together.   Pat and Joe started out with nothing, but as Joe was promoted through the ranks fo the beverage industry they began purchasing rental properties in the Huntington Beach area of California in the early 1970’s. 

This wasn’t your typical marriage.  30 years prior to his death, Joe left Pat to “see the world”, but he continued to utilize Pat to collect rents, pay business expenses, provide bookkeeping and tax preparation and even enlisted her help to set up a new business.  A strong Catholic, Pat believed that getting a divorce was not the right thing to do.  “She continued to do all of the things that a wife would do for a husband with the exception of living with him and enjoying the money that they created together,” stated Jeff.  At the time of his death, Joe’s estate was worth several million dollars.
As the years went on, Joe provided Pat with a monthly stipend of $1,000-2,000.  However, just two weeks prior to his death, he asked Pat to sign a document that said she agreed to receive nothing when he died – not even the small stipend he had been paying her.  In addition, he had revised his trust to state that should Pat make any attempt to seek money from him or his trust, all of their children and grandchildren would be disinherited and would receive nothing.  When Pat refused to sign the document, Joe attempted to protect himself by revising his trust to include a no-contest clause.  Fortunately for Pat, 10 days prior to the amended trust being drafted, the laws in California had been changed and Joe’s intended no-contest clause no longer provided his trust the protection he thought it did. 

“I knew there were instructions in place for Joe’s trust to defend itself against attacks from the very people who were seeking to attack it.  A lot of the facts of this case dated back to 1950.  My mother-in-law was very pessimistic about her chances.  She’s 80 years old, very proud and very private, and she was reluctant to lay out for the world to see all of the facts and personal details of her life with Joe,” Jeff shared.

“Scott took a strong personal interest in the case.  He took on some of the anger that we felt having watched this man over a period of 25 years coerce Pat into signing over deeds to these properties that they owned together with no consideration going her way at all.”  Joe in turn took the money from the sale of the properties and bought more properties, putting them in his name only.  “Joe was despicable.  After devoting huge amounts of time learning the intricacies of this case, Scott was absolutely appalled at the conduct of this guy and how he could take advantage of a woman who did nothing but loyally serve him for sixty years.  I think that gave her strength. “

“I sit in court a lot and see these attorneys mosey up to the podium, and I’m actually embarrassed for my profession sometimes,” said Jeff.  “That’s not Scott.  He is very well put together.  He has a presence about him, he is a forceful speaker, has a very strong way with words and excellent delivery.  That goes a long way.   It’s not always what you say, but it’s how you say it.  When we were in court or depositions, we always felt we had the better attorney.  And that means something because there’s a lot of worrying that goes on in these types of cases.  Not only is there a lot of money at stake, but many of the people embroiled in these cases are looking for justice after being mistreated or taken advantage of.  I know in the minds of many that justice equals money, but in this particular case justice had a huge moral and ethical component to it as well.”

The Grossman Law Firm was able to settle Pat’s case in 17 months, resulting in Pat being awarded half of Joe’s $7.7 million dollar estate.  In addition, the Trust agreed as part of the settlement to not attempt to invoke the no-contest clause, and to instead allow all of the children and grandchildren of the marriage to remain beneficiaries.  Jeff shared how important this was to Pat’s family, “Pat was in poor health with very little fight left in her.   Had Joe’s attempts to disinherit Pat been allowed to stand, it would have been the final indignity for her, the final insult.   She would probably be dead now.   Instead, I now see her now holding her chin up and acting very proud that she finally stood up to Joe.  Scott was able to bring her a decisive measure of justice and provide her some dignity in that she was able to stand up in a legal forum and say, ‘No.  This is not right.  I’m going to tell everybody what this man did to me over the course of a 60 year marriage and let them determine if this is right.’  Joe was Pat's husband and he took advantage of what Pat believed was a mutual trust and loyalty.   When the other side buckled under and paid up, it was vindication for her.”

Jeff was especially grateful that Scott accepted the case on a contingency basis so his mother-in-law would not have the financial burden of legal fees to worry about.   “Scott was willing to take on that burden because he believed in Pat and her case.  That was instrumental.  Pat was down to her last few thousand dollars and could not have afforded a vigorous challenge to such a well-financed Trust.   Scott never stopped working for her.  Long after it was a certainty and much of the money had already been received, Scott pushed for that last $5,000 or $10,000 even though his interest in those final dollars was minimal.”  He did so because he recognizes that right is right.  

“Now I have a mother-in-law who has more energy.  She is proud of herself.   She has no financial  worries.  She is able to do things for her kids and grandchildren that she would have never been able to do.   This December Pat is taking her entire family of 40 people on a weeklong Disney cruise!  Her whole demeanor has been brightened.  What I find very refreshing is that Scott took a strong personal interest in the case and got angry with Pat and for Pat.  He believed in her case even though, on its face, the law seemed to be positioned against her.  When you’ve got an attorney that feels as righteous as his client does, that’s a good combination.  Sometimes people who are under-represented don’t get justice.  They get whatever justice their attorney feels they should get.  In a state with over 150,000 attorneys, who you hire makes a big difference.” 

After Norm Reeves father passed away, he knew it was his grandmother's intention for him to share her estate with his uncle (her only surviving child) in his father's absence.

However, after his grandmother's death, his uncle would only provide bits and pieces of information about the estate. Suspicious that his uncle was taking advantage of him, Norm decided to hire an attorney.
Initially, Norm was reluctant and cautious before entering into a relationship with The Grossman Law Firm, having had a bad experience in the past with attorneys. However, after repeated telephone calls Norm felt comfortable moving forward. "He (Scott) really made me feel at ease as far as the whole legal process," states Norm. "He basically gave me the rundown on what my uncle was doing, and it was almost exact! He didn't even know the guy and he already knew what was going on."

Through Scott's diligence and perseverance, it was discovered that Norm's grandmother suffered from dementia and that a new trust was created and signed while under his Uncle's care. The case was further complicated after an existing trust was discovered, exposing the fact that most of Norm's grandmother's assets were hidden, including a piece of Texas farmland and a 5-Plex, leading to two separate trust litigation cases and one probate case.
Eventually the case went to mediation. Evidence of Norm's grandmother's medical condition was provided to the court after the defense made an initial settlement offer that was very low. Consequently, the final settlement resulted in Norm receiving nearly 10 times the amount than was initially offered.

"His persistence lead to us coming to an agreement," said Norm. "An agreement which could not have been a result without his counsel. I don't think I could have done it with any other lawyer. It was a very difficult case, but he was always in control."

During the nearly two-year long ordeal, Norm was impressed with how Scott handled his case, especially in light of the fact that Norm lived in Texas while the case was being litigated in California. "Scott kept me informed at all times and whatever he told me he followed through with. There were no surprises. He was very forthcoming with his thoughts, but he always left it up to me to make the ultimate decision on what I wanted to do. We built this mutual trust, which at first I did not have because of my leeriness with what happened in the past," shared Norm.
"Every time I called, I got right through to him no problem. He always knew what was going on in the case and where we were at, up to the same day. It was really kind of amazing, actually. I felt like I was his only client. Scott Grossman was very professional at all times. I would work with him again and anyone he would recommend for that matter.

"I know it's what my grandparents would have wanted. That's the most important aspect of it. They wanted me to have something. And by the grace of God, I got Scott Grossman as my attorney and it worked out perfectly for me in this matter. I would highly recommend him to anyone else going through the same circumstances. He's an honest attorney. That goes a long way with people."

For many years, everyone knew it was the intention of Leona Lusk to split her estate in equal shares among her four children, Terry Lusk’s father being one of them. However, Terry’s father died before Leona resulting in Terry and his siblings now being the benefactors of his father’s share of the estate. Picture their surprise when they learned after their grandmother’s death that a new estate plan was in place with a new sole beneficiary.

Further investigation exposed disturbing details

Terry’s family, being fully convinced of wrong doing, knew they had to hire an attorney to fight for their share of the inheritance.

"Scott bent over backwards and reached out to them [the other family members] numerous times to try to get them involved

It was discovered that prior to her death, Leona had been diagnosed with dementia.

Around that time, a neighbor became increasingly more involved in Leona’s life and began taking care of most of Leona’s day-to-day affairs. After a fall at home, Leona was taken to the hospital for treatment where she was diagnosed with dementia. However, the diagnosis was a bit uncertain – one stating she had mid-stage dementia and another stating late-stage dementia.

Leona’s daughter, who lived locally, also become more involved in her mother’s life during this time and began taking on a more active role in Leona’s financial affairs – signing all the hospital documents and paying the hospital bills with Leona’s money. Less than a month later, she even went as far as to have Leona sign a Quit Claim Deed in an attempt to transfer Leona’s property over to her. Fortunately, the deed did was not recorded due to an error at the Register of Deed’s office.

It was at that time that Leona and her daughter met with an estate-planning attorney, where Leona requested that a new estate plan be drafted leaving everything to her daughter. However, her daughter failed to tell the attorney that Leona had been diagnosed with dementia, or of the existence of another estate plan.

During the trial, the new estate-planning attorney claimed Leona was fine and although she acknowledged the existence of the previous plan, could not recall the name of the attorney who had drafted the document. Unfortunately, he did not question the situation or investigate further. In addition, just one month after the new estate plan had been drafted Leona’s primary physician noticed symptoms of dementia and began prescribing anti-dementia medication. He too had not been informed of the hospital’s dementia diagnosis. However, during the trial stated he was not surprised Leona had been diagnosed.

Scott just did a great job. He was very professional, very prepared and he essentially won the case for us.

Scott stayed on his game the whole time and did a great job managing the family situation, which was probably harder than the actual case. "When we got to trial it was actually embarrassing for this other attorney,"said Terry. "Scott had all this stuff pulled together. Scott did all the work. He was really prepared. The other attorney didn’t do any of the work. He thought we didn’t have a case. But It was still a little bit of a crap shoot whether or not we would win," said Terry. "But in the end the Judge ruled in our favor."

Nevertheless, it wasn’t over yet. There was still one more trial ahead for Terry and his brother before the case would be finished. "To make a long story short – the other attorney, after going through all of this and costing everyone a lot of time and money, finally ended up coming to us and just settling for what we wanted."

Terry Lusk, Arvada, Colorado

," states Terry. "He was very nice about answering their questions even though he didn’t need to. He was very patient and tried to explain to them that it was in their best interest to get involved, but they still did not want to do it. He did a good job managing a very tedious family problem that many times breaks families apart."

 

Scott Grossman
The Grossman Law Firm, A.P.C.
6370 Magnolia Ave., Suite 320
Riverside, CA  92506

Re: Estate of Rita Peraza

Dear Scott:

Thank you for helping me with the probate of my mother's estate.  I know my case wasn't easy and I appreciate the help you and your staff provided me. 

You may remember my brother made things very difficult trying to find a way to buy my mother's house and even threatening to stop the sale if he couldn't buy. My mother's home was pretty much the whole estate and there was no way my sisters, brother and I would get our fair share of the estate if it couldn't be sold. You helped me to get the homes sold and stop my brother from interfering in the sale of the home. 

I learned firsthand how important it is to have the right probate lawyer.  You help me take care of a bunch of problems and stopped some problems from coming up.  I recommend you and your firm to anyone who needs an excellent probate lawyer. 

Sincerely,
John F. Peraza 

[This testimonial does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.]

XXXXX XXXX Way
Winchester, CA 92596

Dear Scott:

Thank you so much for representing me in the probate of my mother's estate. When you took over my case from attorney Daniel Cooper my case was a mess. I was very upset with my attorney, couldn't talk with him and never felt like I got answers to my questions. I was at the end of my rope and desperately needed help with my case.

I felt immediate relief when we met for the first time. You explained my case to me, showed me what my former attorney had done wrong and got it corrected. You stood up for me when my sister threatened to sue me. When she actually sued me in the Hemet probate court and the probate litigation began you defended me against every allegation she made. You were the reason I won the litigation. You made sure I remained the administrator and showed the judge that I had done what I was supposed to do.

Maybe more importantly you answered all my questions and calmed me down when I got nervous and anxious. You told me from the beginning we would win the case and you were right. Every time I told you I was willing to give up my administrator's fees and even some of the cash I was supposed to get you told me not to do it. You told me everything would be alright. You were right.

Because of your efforts, skill and advice, I received clear title to my home and tens of thousands of dollars I was ready to give up. You gave me hope, guidance and support. You got my case on track and kept it there.

Some people think any attorney who says he does probate can handle their case. That's wrong. Having an attorney like you who focuses on probate and probate litigation is very, very important. I know because I had the wrong attorney and he screwed up my case. You were the right attorney and that made all the difference to make my case turn out right.

Thank you for all your help.

Yours truly,

Ronni Lynn Benjamin

[This testimonial does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.]

January 15, 2009

Scott M. Grossman, Esq.
The Grossman Law Firm
6370 Magnolia Avenue, Suite 320
Riverside, CA  92506

Dear Scott:

I want to thank you for your very able representation of me in my recent estate matter.

As a lawyer myself, I am very thorough and detailed minded, and I am most appreciative whenever I find those same qualities in another attorney such as yourself, especially when that attorney is handling a matter for me personally as you did.

Throughout the handling of my matter you were extremely professional and demonstrated very ably your expertise in the field of estate and trust law.  You and your staff were very cooperative and most efficient throughout the pendency of my case which ultimately resulted in a very satisfactory resolution.

Rest assured that I would be more than happy to recommend any of my friends or my own clients to you in the future should they have an estate, trust or estate litigation matter.

Very Truly Yours,
Ryneal & Ryneal
F. Steve Ryneal

[This testimonial does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.]

January 12, 2009

The Grossman Law Firm
6370 Magnolia Avenue
Suite 320
Riverside, CA  92506

Dear Mr. Grossman:

Now that my case is complete, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you not only for your knowledge and professionalism but for the time and courtesy you showed me when I had questions and felt lost as to what I should do next.  You always returned my calls and/or e-mails promptly and I appreciate that.  I would be more than pleased to recommend you to whomever I meet who needs the assistance of a capable lawyer.
Again, many thanks.

Joan McGhie


This testimonial does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

December 29, 2008

Thank you, Scott, for helping us through this long and complicated ordeal. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by the three of us. We wish you the very best in the upcoming year.

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This testimonial does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

I am a trust officer at one of the larger financial institutions in the United States and have worked in the trust and investment industry for the past twenty years. I was initially referred into The Grossman Law Firm by another attorney that I have worked closely with throughout my career. Since being introduced to the Grossman firm, I have interacted with them on various matters. I have found them to be very knowledgeable and capable in their field and more than willing to provide me with guidance and clarity on some very difficult issues. They are professional, responsive and I feel they are genuinely concerned about me, their client. In my twenty years of experience in the industry, I can honestly say that this was one of the best referrals into a law firm that I have ever received.
Thanks and we will probably be talking soon –

Kerry H.
Los Angeles, CA
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Attorney at Law
The Grossman Law Firm
6370 Magnolia Avenue, Suite 320
Riverside, CA 92506

To Whom It May Concern:

I have worked with Mr. Grossman for over ten years.

In that time, my association with him has been as a trust professional, specifically in the area of special needs trusts.

Mr. Grossman has always been a consummate professional, has responded to my requests in a timely manner and the fees for those services have been modest and never exaggerated.

I would recommend Mr. Grossman and his firm, recognizing his responsiveness and his expertise.

Susan L. Jackson CFTA
Senior Vice President
Wells Fargo Bank
Special Needs Trust Division
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October 17, 2008

Mr. Scott Grossman
The Grossman Law Firm, A.P.C.
6370 Magnolia Avenue, Suite 320
Riverside, CA 92506

Dear Mr. Grossman:
I want to thank you and your firm for representing me. When I agreed to serve as trustee of my neighbor’s trust I had no idea it would turn out to be so much trouble. I really wanted to make sure her wishes were carried out and I knew one of her children would be trouble. What I didn’t know was how much work it would be and how much trouble her son would try to make for me.

You and your firm helped me get through some very contentious litigation. You were a great help to me and the trust. You protected me, protected the trust, and successfully defended me against the false claims made against me. Thanks for making sure my neighbor’s wishes were carried out and keeping me from harm.

Sincerely,
Robert E. Davis
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October 2008

To anyone considering hiring the Law Firm of Scott Grossman, I would highly recommend him. From my very first phone call with Scott the week of my mother’s passing, I found him to be very knowledgeable, professional and at the same time very caring. Scott always made himself available to answer all my questions and concerns. He returned my many phone calls and answered my e-mails in a very short amount of time. His office staff was always very friendly and helpful. Everyone in the office always took time out to listen to me, answer my questions, and explain all the legal proceedings. When it was necessary to make court appearances, Scott was a calming presence in the midst of a very emotional time for me and my family. I trusted Scott Grossman to always do what was in my best interest, and he never let me down. Not only would I use the law firm of Scott Grossman again, I would highly recommend him to my friends and family.

Debbie Valenzuela
Temecula, CA
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October 27, 2008

To Potential Clients of the Grossman Law Firm:

I have worked with the Grossman Law Firm for the past eight years. I first worked with Scott and his firm while I was in charge of the Trust Department at PFF Bank & Trust and have continued working with him since becoming a private fiduciary. The Grossman Law Firm has represented me in probate, trust administration and trust litigation cases. The firm has provided me with prompt, efficient and friendly service. My questions have been answered quickly and Scott or his associate, Lisa, has always made time to talk with me when I needed a more involved discussion.

In litigated cases, I have found Scott’s representation outstanding. He has been tenacious litigating cases for me. I appreciate his ability to strongly represent my interests while also counseling me on the strengths and weaknesses of my cases. He has dug in and fought when that was the right thing to do and helped me to settle cases when that was the right thing to do.

I highly recommend The Grossman Law Firm to anyone who needs legal representation to probate an estate, administer a trust, or litigate a will or trust dispute.

Sincerely,
David F. Doten
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