What is the Standard of Care in Trust and Estate Trials You Should Look for in an Expert Witness?

Testimony in a trust and estate trial will range from the standard of care in accepting a trust, coordinating with the beneficiaries, making reports and furnishing accountings, preparing tax returns, as well as providing the court any information it requires. There is a difference in a witness being able to testify that expert witness services are actually done on a regular basis, and others are advised on a regular basis, than just saying that others are advised on a regular basis.



An expert witness furnishing expert witness services should be able to state that those services are actually performed by them as that makes the qualifying expert witness more credible as an expert witness. Testimony that Cheadle Law can provide includes preparation of estate planning documents, trusts, wills, powers of attorney, interrelationship with business documents and tax planning as well as the preparation of accountings and estate, trust, corporate, partnership and individual income tax returns.

As an attorney, Tucker Cheadle litigates cases involving trusts and estates. In one recent case, several precedents were established in trust and estate law in the court of appeals decision in Pham v. Cheadle G050964 (April 15, 2016). These precedents related to the attorney client privilege, disqualification of opposing counsel who obtains and uses privileged communications, and the Evidence Code relating to determining the intent of the decedent and the fact that a party adverse to the decedent cannot determine that intent from the decedent's attorney. Tucker Cheadle won this case.

Learn more about this case and standard of care in trusts and estate trials by contacting Tucker Cheadle Law at 949.553.1066