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Barry L. Adams
Law Office of Adams & Rafferty, P.C.
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Biography
I am a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate law. I have over 30 years of experience as a trusts and estates attorney. I advise clients regarding estate planning, estate/trust administration and litigation. I have offices in Northern and Southern California and can assist you regardless of your location. I can help you with setting up your estate plan, resolving a family dispute regarding a trust or estate and with administration issues after a loved one passes away. Listen to my podcasts at www.adamsandrafferty.com to find out more information about these issues.
I can also help you with heirship issues especially those involving genealogy and family history issues. Please feel free to contact me from this page.
Education
- University of the Pacific
- J.D. (1986) | Law
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- Whitworth College
- B.A. (1983) | Journalism
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- Honors: Cum Laude
- Activities: Editor of University Newspaper, Captain of tennis team, 4 year varsity letter for tennis, Academic All-American in tennis; Class graduation speaker
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Professional Experience
- Principal Attorney
- Law Office of Adams & Rafferty, P.C.
- - Current
- Practice which consists of all aspects of estate and trust matters. Including estate planning, estate and trust administration, and estate and trust litigation.
- Founder and Clinical Professor
- Community Elder Law Clinic, Empire Law School
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- Founder of non-profit elder law clinic providing free legal advice to seniors. Recipient of Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Award 2003.
- Owner
- Law Office of Barry L. Adams
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- Associate
- Anderson, Zeigler, Disharoon & Gray
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- Associate
- Rutan & Tucker
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Speaking Engagements
- Nuts & Bolts of Trust Administration on Death, Continuing Education for Lawyers, Santa Rosa, California
- Sonoma County Bar Association, Trusts and Estate Section
- An introductory class on trust administration for lawyers providing detailed information, forms and checklists
- Probate Nuts & Bolts, Continuing Education for Lawyers, Santa Rosa, California
- Sonoma County Bar Association, Trusts and Estate Section
- An introductory class on probate administration for lawyers providing detailed information, forms and checklists
Certifications
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
- State Bar of California
Awards
- Excellence in Education, Teaching Award
- Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce
- Awarded for teaching Elder Law Clinic at Empire Law School
- Pro Bono Award
- Sonoma County Bar Association
- Pro bono award for service to seniors through Empire Law School Elder Law Clinic
Professional Associations
- Orange County Bar Association, Trust and Estate Section
- Member
- - Current
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- Sonoma County Bar Association, Trusts and Estate Section
- Steering Committee Member
- - Current
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- California State Bar # 125474
- Member
- - Current
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- Empire Law School
- Founder and Professor Elder Law Clinic
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- Activities: Founder of highly successful Empire Law School Elder Law Clinic. Providing free legal advice for seniors in Sonoma County.
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- California
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Fees
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Free Consultation
Initial one-half hour free consultation - Credit Cards Accepted
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Contingent Fees
Possible contingent fee arrangement in trust or will contests
Practice Areas
- Estate Planning
- Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Elder Law
Additional Practice Areas
- Estate and Trust Litigation
- Trust Administration
Legal Answers
- Q. I am 75, my estranged daughter is 35. I have read that an UGMA can be ended if I pay IRS 10%
- A: When you set up the UGMA account, you made a completed gift to the minor recipient. You cannot now revoke that gift. Therefore, it is not a tax issue - it is a legal issue.
- Q. My mother, a California resident, passed away recently and I’m unsure whether her estate is a small estate.
- A: You are lodging the will with the Court - not filing for probate. Remember you have to wait 40 days before filing 13100 Small Estate Affidavit with the banks and the collective amounts of all accounts must be less than $116,250 for a death in 2020 and $150,000 for a death in 2019.
- Q. As a benifaciary of a trust do I have any recourse if another benifaciary refuses to sign release that will close trust?
- A: Under California law, a beneficiary cannot be forced to sign a release of the trustee. Therefore, I don't see that you would have any recourse against the co-beneficiary.
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