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.

As it became clear that we could no longer avoid the need to address our family trust a good friend…read morerecommended attorney Lee Ann Shenkman in Soquel after she had solved some challenging problems for her family. The need to engage an attorney has never been something I would look forward to, however we were pleased to find that working Lee Ann felt more like we had a personal counselor who cared about us and our children's future. We live 120 miles away, so all of our communications were by phone and email, and it turned out to be very convenient and efficient. We had a very complicated situation as older parents with a grown daughter and a teen adopted daughter both with special needs. Lee Ann provided us with the names of some trusted professionals who could act as the trustee of a special needs trust if we were deceased or incapacitated and we found it easy to make a selection. The word "trust" appears again and again throughout this experience but that's the thing, we felt that we could "trust" Lee Ann's advice and counsel. She sought to thoroughly ensure that our daughters financial future would be secure. We cannot imagine that another attorney could do a better job and be more caring partner in dealing with this important issue.

From the owner: Lee Ann Shenkman Attorney at Law focuses on estate planning, long term care planning, special needs…read moretrusts, and wills.

Elaine Alston was very professional and caring about our situation. She took great lengths to…read morereassure us, explained everything so we understood the hows and what nots. Her and her staff care about their clients. They are kind caring and very knowledgeable. I would recommend them highly. They get results and keep you informed of what is happening. Elaine and her staff always made you feel like they have your back and are there for you all the time. They made a difficult situation seem relatively painless and hopeful. Thank you all for your support, positivity, helpfulness and knowledge you are wonderful.

We recently visited Copenbarger & Coperbarger at the Santa Cruz location. We were very pleased with…read morethe professionalism and attention by Victoria Horvatich and Diane Johnston. They care about their clients and are very knowledgeable. They made a difficult task seem relatively painless. I would highly recommend this law firm for all your estate planning needs.

Worked with this team in early 2023. I was a nervous mess coming to them. My ex-husband is the…read morecontrolling tech-backed money type; calling me at 9:30pm to strike a deal without lawyers kinda guy. When interviewing, I asked if they had experience supporting people with trauma and they said that it was "Trisha's specialty." This divorce wasn't the only thing going on in my life, I was managing the sudden death of a family member and a health scare at the time. The staff was receptive and courteous in the beginning but after a couple months there was a misstep by their office about filing paperwork. It felt like they had more clients than they could handle. It set off some miscommunication in email and that was the sudden end of it. The conversation was handed over to Jennifer and she was quickly defensive and dismissive. Her emails were harsh. She notified my ex's lawyer that she wasn't going to be representing me anymore and I started fielding his calls again. I'm sure trauma and abuse come up in a lot of cases for them. It's a tough line of work. I just don't think it really clicked for them how much I was going through at the time. I had very limited interactions with Jennifer up until the termination and the treatment I got was not trauma informed. If you have a lot going on like I did, I wouldn't go with this office. It's not a compassionate place.

The level of appreciation I have for Jenn McCabe and her team of associates is hard to put into…read morewords. The court system could really be described as a foreign land. One that is unfamiliar and structured in such a way that it's almost impossible to navigate on your own. So if you find yourself having to enter into this system with a deeply emotional or traumatic situation on hand the pressure to have a wider perspective on how that system works is essential! That's where Jenn McCabe came in and completely changed the trajectory of my case the moment she took it on. She goes above and beyond to do whatever she needs to do to give you the best fighting chance in court. Before I had Jenn I had so much anxiety entering the court room. After having her as my advocate she represented me in court better then I could have ever done and I finally got the justice I deserved. This brought down my anxiety and kept me safe knowing someone else I could trust was representing me and presenting my case the best way possible. I've had an ongoing custody battle for over 2 years now and after hiring Jenn and her team I was able to attain full custody of my son and child support. Bottom line if you're looking for a highly competent, experienced and hardworking lawyer you can be assured that Jenn will meet all your expectations and more. I am beyond grateful for her guidance and level of professionalism. She's the real deal and very pleasant to work with, down to earth and passionate in what she does. All my gratitude to Jenn and her team again I couldn't have done it without them!

We wondered if giving regular passage permission across our property to a neighbor's 8-year-old…read moredaughter visiting her close friend would put us at risk for someone else claiming an easement. Ms. Levini answered my questions in the free consultation, which should make life better for all concerned. I'm paying that gift forward with this review. Work with a good person and knowledgeable professional.

Out of state LLC questions answered! Fantastic service. Concise, accurate, FRIENDLY! Call her!read more

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

Jill is incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, honest, efficient and thorough. Our case is based…read morein Santa Cruz, but because of an emergency filing, will be handled in another state for this filing. I just did a consultation with her and she walked me through the process of what to expect from emergency motions filed, the process, the strategy, etc. This filing is quite unexpected and overwhelming given the specific circumstances. Jill helped me understand what to expect, how to prioritize, and next steps in sequence. Even though she will not be involved in any of this. Just out of the goodness of her heart, and I suspect a very strong ethical code. A true humanitarian and advocate. I feel so supported by her approach and reassured in a legal system that is often lacking in this regard. Thank you so much Jill! I truly appreciate you as a kind, generous, kick-*ss professional!! It's experts like you that help us feel heard, valued, and acknowledged and empowerd in these challenging circumstances. with deep gratitude, Marilyn

After struggling for over three months to get a response from my previous probate attorney, I…read morestarted searching for new representation and was referred to Nicki. I explained my situation and the unfinished business I was dealing with, and she immediately stepped in to help. She graciously offered to contact my former attorney herself to help move things along -- something she absolutely didn't have to do. Thanks to her call, he finally responded. I truly appreciated her kindness, professionalism, and willingness to go out of her way to support me. If my attorney doesn't ultimately follow through on completing the work, I would absolutely reach out to Nicki again for her help.

It's not easy to draft up a will...It's so final! I had a…read morelot of questions during the process but Nicolle Nelson was very patient and understanding...and guided me through. Everything straightforward , easy to follow instructions. Completed package delivered to my door within the timeframe promised. Would use this service again. At least I know my life is a little more protected. Thank you Nicki!! Amir.