Kate has saved my family so much money and anxiety. She keeps up with changes in the law and this has resulted in advantages to my children and reduction in my taxes. read more

Upon the death of my spouse, Kathleen Crane was referred to me as one of three attorneys to review, correct and act upon a poorly written trust by another law firm. Kate was the very first attorney I planned to interview, and after that meeting I knew there was no one more qualified to help me through a life crisis and beyond. We have worked through life issues for the past 27 years, and the qualities Kate demonstrated at that first meeting have been verified and enhanced: intelligence, experience, trust, respect, kindness, patience, superb listening skills, and the ability to see/treat me as a unique individual with specific circumstances. Without hesitation and/or qualifications, I recommend the law firm of Kathleen Crane to anyone seeking the legal assistance of someone knowledgeable, personable, and reliable. read more

Kate Crane charged my parents a fortune to set up complicated Trusts. Now that they are dead she takes no responsibility for the mess she created and the beneficiaries are left with a never ending mess that requires other attorneys and Fiduciaries to attempt to sort out, which is of course charged to the Estate. It is like watching vultures picking over a dead animal and she is the Chief Vulture. read more

I have had the pleasure and good fortune of having Kate oversee my trust for over 15 years. I have never had anything short of a very professional interaction mixed with kindness and compassion. Not only is Kate a pleasure to deal with but her staff reflects the same professional and pleasant style, much like Kate. Over the past 15 years I have recommended Kate to anyone who asks me who to seek counsel with for estate issues. I never hesitate to provide Kate's contact information. No one I have ever suggested use Kate has been disappointed with her wise and comprehensive counsel on all matters of estate planning. Kate's CV speaks for her, and her demeanor emotes intelligence and concern. I am grateful to have had Kate represent me and I rest assured I am in the the company of a keen mind and a warm heart. Dory O'Toole read more

I have found Kathleen Crane to be simply the best. We first met when she responded to a very worried phone call from me, a stranger, saying that my husband's death benefit was being contested by an insurance company and their representatives were coming to my house to gather data with one day's notice. Kate rearranged her schedule to be with me and kept me from surrendering material to which they were not entitled. She subsequently supported me in my new-found widowhood as I learned a new legal language. This was the beginning of more than 20 years of great, up to date guidance, attention to detail, and availability during which she handled my family's estate matters. She has saved us a small fortune by her advice. The remarkable part is that she is so kind, obviously very bright, patient and clear that she actually makes estate planning (an activity ranking with root canal work) a positive experience. I have referred many families to her care and have without fail heard back that they were well pleased. read more

Kate Crane made the whole process of setting up a trust both effortless and enjoyable. Her caring demeanor instilled confidence as we navigated many of the tough questions most of us choose to avoid. In her beautifully appointed office we were greeted by Kate's friendly and highly skilled staff who made sure we were comfortable and accommodated in a timely manner. Thank you, Kate, for all your help! read more

John and I have used Kate Crane for our estate planning since 1997 and we wouldn't consider using anyone else. We trust Kate's advice and knowledge completely. Kate stays up-to-date with all the laws and puts together programs that are most beneficial to our heirs. Kate is kind, considerate, and professional. We highly recommend Kate Crane. read more

I hired this lawyer in 2011 to help me amend a living trust and a will. I paid her $3500 for her efforts but needed to hire another attorney to get the job done. Today (June 2014) I received a bill for $120 for her review of my death certificate. Since I am not dead and no longer a client, I complained to her by phone. She admitted that it was just another error but I got no apology and no agreement that the fee for reviewing my death certificate would be waived. read more

My parents hired Mrs. Crane as she came highly recommended by our Financial Account Manager on behalf of another client. Mrs. Crane falsely placed information in the will and trust without my parent's consent. When my parents brought this information to her attention and sent her their request to correct it in writing via fax, she would acknowledge the correspondence several weeks letter via snail mail saying she did not understand. Again, my parents sent their request for corrections in writing to her attention via fax, and she again responded several weeks later saying she did not understand. She knew my father's health was failing and it seems like she was trying to wait him out. Needless to say, by the time she was available for us to meet almost 3 months later because her calendar was sooooo full, my father passed unfortunately passed away 2 days prior. She quickly closed the file and said there was nothing else she could do and refused to make the changes that were signed off by both of my parents in their request several months prior. In here fraudulent actively, she strongly insisted that my parents give money to the pancreatic cancer association network and they declined. She placed this matter in their will and trust anyway. She set up the wording that when my father passed, half of the money would go to them. Should my Mom pass, half of what is left would go to the Pancreatic Cancer Association Network. Prior to the final surviving child, half of what's left also went to them. And upon the death of the last child, all funds went to them. We also found it a coincidence, that a man by the name of Christopher Crane also serves on the medical review board for that same Association. Which by the way, this association is located in the same city and vicinity in which she lives. Again, the same organization she heavily insisted we donate to in the will and trust. Might I add, she's also sat on a couple of medical boards in her past as well. There were also 3 other items that Mrs. Crane refused to correct as requested and signed off in writing by my parents that we had to fight for in court as well. Needless to say, the judge understood and agreed with our stance, she reversed and signed off on the corrections my mother requeted. After spending 2 years and over 25k in attorney and court fees to have this matter resolved, she refuses to speak with us regarding this manner human to human, to address our concerns. She demands that she speaks with the current trust attorney first who corrected the matter. However, the attorney works for us, not the other way around. I would not recommend Mrs. Crane for anything but a jail cell. We are currently speaking with the California Bar Association regarding this matter. It looks like this is not the only time misconduct has been had. read more

My husband and I had our estate plan prepared by Kate. She came highly recommended from a friend of ours. We're so glad we made the appointment. Kate prepared our living trust, advanced health care directives and wills. She's knowledgeable, kind and was very patient with us. You can tell she truly cares about her clients. We highly recommend her to anyone who needs an estate and trust attorney. read more

My father originally hired a different attorney to draw up our family's will and living trust. When that attorney moved, my father decided to switch to Kate Crane in order to stay local. After the death of my mother, Kate set up a second trust. She seemed to be be knowledgeable about setting things up, although in a very confusing and complicated manner. After my father passed, Kate seemed to have no interest in administering the estate. After a whole year with very little progress, my sister hired her own attorney to question the lack of progress. As soon as this happened, Kate advised me to seek an attorney closer to me, location wise, and preceded to advise my sister's attorney that I, as trustee, would be changing council. I was considering doing so, but Kate dropped me as a client before I had made my final decision. Luckily, my parent's original attorney had relocated to the area where I live and I was able to retain his services. In three months, my new attorney has been able to accomplish more than Kate did in a whole year. Along the way, we discovered several basic things that Kate had neglected to do. Because of this, I have incurred all the costs associated with hiring another attorney to basically start all over with the administration of the trusts. All the money Kate received was wasted. She even sent me a bill for her responding to my sister's attorney and for forwarding my files to my new attorney! Needless to say, I will NEVER refer anyone to Kate Crane. read more

Kate Crane is a wonderful lawyer. She is smart, caring, and has an extraordinary ability to help people understand legal issues, and any legal processes in which they are involved. I recommend her highly. read more