- Saturday, October 29, 2011 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Michael Desmarais; Kristofer Biorn, and Steven P. Braccini
- Trusts and Estates Litigation
- The America's Cup Room, 4th Floor West Tower Manchester Hyatt Hotel
Online Registration
Hotel Reservations
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Trusts and Estates Litigation Agenda |
I. INTRODUCTION
II. THE ACTION
III. LAW AND MOTION
IV. DISCOVERY
V. TRIAL SETTING
VI. PRETRIAL PRACTICE
VII. TRIAL
VIII. POSTTRIAL PRACTICE
IX. ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE
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I. INTRODUCTION
A. Michael G. Desmarais
B. Kristofer W. Biorn
C. Steven P. Braccini
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| II. THE ACTION |
A. When — PC §§1000, 8004, 8270, 16061.8, 16460, CCP §§335- 340, 340.5-340.6, 343,345, 350-352, 364-365, 366.1-366.3
B. Where
1. Probate Court—PC §§800-801, 2200 -2203, 2210-2217, 4520 -4523, 7050- 7052, 17000-17005 [See also Estate of Neilson (1962) 57 Cal.2d 733, 747-748 (Probate proceedings are to conform as nearly as is consistently possible to proceedings for civil actions.)]
2.
Civil Court
a. Court Trial
b. Jury Trial
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| C. What |
1. Power of Attorney
2. Guardianship/Conservatorship
3. Marital Dissolution and Annulment
4. Wrongful Death/Survivorship Action
5. Elder Abuse
a. Personal
b. Financial
6. Breach of Contract, Quiet Title, Conversion, Fraud
7.Will Contest, Constructive Trust, Resulting Trust
8. Reformation and Modification |
| D. Who—PC §§48, 9654; W & IC §15657.3(c) |
1. Interested Person
2 .Heir
3. Devisee
4. Beneficiary
5 .Creditor
6. Guardian/Conservator
7. Personal Representative
8. Trustee |
| E.Judge |
1. Disqualification—CCP §§170.1; 170.6
2. Referee/Temporary Judge—CCP §§638-645.2, CRC 2.810-2.835,
Gridley v. Gridley (2008 155 Cal.App.4th 1562 (Oral stipulation and participation). |
| III. LAW AND MOTION |
| A. PC §1000 |
| B. Type of Pleading |
1. Drafting Motion Papers --CRC 2.100 – 2.119; 3.1100 –3.1370
2. Caption
3. Local Rules |
| C. Where Is Law and Motion Heard? |
| D. Tentative Ruling Procedures |
| E. Demurrer—Probate Code §8251(b) (will contests); CCP §430.10 (against complaints); CCP §430.20 (against answers) |
| F. Motion for Judgment on Pleadings—CCP §438 |
| G. Motion to Strike—CCP §§ 435, 436 |
| H. Special Motion to Strike (aka “anti-SLAPP motion)—CCP §425.16 |
| I. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to Serve Summons—CCP§583.250 |
| J. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to Bring Case to Trial—CCP §583.360 |
| K. Motion for Sanctions—CCP §128.7 |
| L. Motion to Dismiss for Delay of Prosecution—CCP §583.410 |
| M. Discovery Motions—See, e.g., CCP §§2031.310 and 2031.320 Moeller v. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal.4th 1124, (motion to compel production of documents |
| N. Motion for Summary Judgment or Summary Adjudication—CCP §437c |
| O. Motion to Sever—CCP §1048(b);Estate of Brissel (1963) 218 Cal.App.2d 841, 843. |
| P. Motion to Vacate Order orJudgment—CCP §473 |
| IV. DISCOVERY |
| A. Informal Discovery |
| 1. Inspecting Records |
| 2. Retaining Expert Witnesses |
| B. Forrmal Discovery |
| 1. Order for Discovery Unnecessary— PC §1000; Forthmann v. Boyer (2002) 97 Cal.App.4th977 (discovery procedures found in CCP applicable to probate proceedings) |
| 2. Where Discovery Motions Are Heard? |
| 3. Judge or Commissioner |
| 4. Civil Discovery Devices |
| a. Production Demands (CCP §2031.010, et seq.); Subpoena Duces Tecum (CCP §§1985, et seq. and 2020.010, et seq.) |
(1) Decedent’s Medical History
(2) Business Records |
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b. Depositions—CCP§2025.010, et seq. |
| c. Interrogatories —CCP§2030.010, et seq. |
| (1) Number and Use —35 under CCP §2030.030(c). |
| (2) Recommended Form Interrogatories |
| d. Requests for Admission—CCP §2033.010, et seq. |
| e. Exchange of Expert Information—CCP§§2034.010, et seq. |
| f. No Sequence for Discovery—CCP§2019.020 (unless on motion for good cause) |
| g. Discovery Before or After Action |
| 5. Discovery Procedures Unique to Probate Proceedings |
| a. Citation to Answer Interrogatories or Appear for Examination —PC §8870 |
| b. Propounding and Answering Interrogatories—PC§8871 |
| c. Conduct of Examination—PC §8872 |
| d. Appearance to Account for Estate Property |
| (1) Petition for Issuance of Citation Requiring Citee to Appear
and Account for Estate Property —PC §8873 |
| (2) Declaration Supporting Petition for Issuance of Citation |
| e. Exhuming Body in Will Contest —Holm v. Superior Court (1986) 187 CA3d 1241 (Court has no authority to make such an order). |
| f. Nonexclusivity of Probate Discovery Procedures |
| V. TRIAL SETTING |
| A. Probate Department—Local Rules |
| B. Civil Department—Case Management Rules -- CRC 3.729 |
| C. Short Cause -- PC §1022 |
| D. Evidentiary Hearing — Estate of Lensch (2009) 177 Cal.App.4th 667, 675-678 (order granting contested petition without a trial reversed); Evangelho v. Presoto (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 615, 620 (trials necessary in contested probate matters); see also Prob. Code §§1000, 1022 |
| E. Jury Trial – generally not available |
| F. Trial Date Motions—i.e. Motion for Preferential Trial Setting (CCP §36) |
| VI. PRETRIAL PRACTICE |
| A. Settlement |
| 1. Mediation—Evid. C §§1115-1128 |
| 2. Settlement Conference—Mandatory/Voluntary -- Evid. C §§ 1152, 1154 |
| 3. Settlement Offers—CCP §998 |
| 4. Settlement Agreement |
| a. Court Supervision—PC §1000; CCP §664.6 |
b. Court Approval—PC §§9600(a), 9611, 9613, 9830 -9839, 9850-9851, 10501(a)(8)-(9), 10510, 10518, 10552, 10563-
10564, 16010 -16011, 16200, 16242, 17200(b)(6) |
c. Waiver—PC §§7250, 11604.5, 16463, 16464, 16465,
CC §1542; Estate
of Bennett (2008) 163 Cal.App.3d 1303 (evidentiary hearing required) |
| d. Minors—PC §§2500-2507, 3600 -3613; Rules of Court 7.903 |
| e. Guardians ad Litem—PC §1003 |
| f. Good Faith Settlement—CCP §877.6 |
| g. Taxes |
| (1) Attorneys’ Fees, Fiduciary’s Fees, and Expenses |
| (2) Marital Deduction—IRC §2056 |
| (3) Charitable Deduction—IRC §2055 |
| B. Trial Preparation |
| 1. Witnesses |
| a. Compelling Attendance and Production—CCP §§1985, et seq. |
| b. Preparing Witnesses for Trial |
| 2. Documents—CCP§§1985, et seq. |
| 3. Demonstrative Exhibits |
| 4. Pretrial Motions |
| a. Motions to Consolidate, Sever, and Change Order of Trial |
| b. Motions in Limine |
| 5. Trial Briefs and Trial Memorandums |
| a. Elements |
| (1) Introduction |
| (2) Facts |
| (3) Argument |
| (4) Conclusion |
| b. “Shorter Takes Longer” |
| VII. TRIAL |
| A. Chambers Conference |
| B. Courtroom Attendance |
| C. Jury Selection |
| D. Opening Statement—CCP §581(a)(6)(commencement of trial) |
| E. Order of Proof-- CCP §607, 631.7; PC §320 |
| F. Phases of Examination —Evid. C §§760, 761, 762, 763, & 772 |
| G. Introducing Evidence |
| 1. Witness Testimony—Evid. C §765, et seq. |
| 2. Opinion Testimony—Evid. C §800, et seq. |
| a. Lay Witnesses |
| b. Expert Witnesses |
| (1) Qualifying Event |
| (2) Examining Expert |
| 3. Documentary and Physical Evidence |
| a. Uses |
| b. Authentication and Proof—Evid. C §1400, et seq. |
| c. Secondary Evidence—Evid. C §1521 |
| 4. Judicial Notice—Evid. C §§452, 453 |
| 5. Hearsay—Evid. C §1200; PC §1022 |
a. Admissions or statements attributed to a party (Evid. C §§1220-
1225, 1227) |
| b. Declarations against interest of a declarant who is unavailable as a witness (Evid. C §1230) |
| c. A witness’s prior consistent and inconsistent statements, past recollection recorded, prior identifications, and prior testimony (Evid. C §§770, 791, 1235-1238, 1290-1292) |
| d. Spontaneous declarations, contemporaneous statements, and dying declarations (Evid. C §§1240-1242); |
| e. Statements of mental or physical state (Evid. C §§1250-1252) |
| f. Business Records (Evid. C §§1270-1272) |
| g. Official Records (Evid. C §§ 1280-1284) |
| h. Judgments (Evid. C §§1300-1302) |
| i. Reputation and statements concerning community history, property interests, and character (Evid C §§1320-1324) |
| j. Dispositive instruments and ancient writings including: |
| (1) Evidence of a statement in a deed of conveyance or will or other writing purporting to affect an interest in real or personal property if the matter stated was relevant to the purpose of the writing, would be relevant to an issue as to an interest in the property, and the dealings with the property since the statement was made have not been inconsistent with the truth of the statement (Evid C §1330) |
| (2) Evidence of a statement in a writing more than 30 years old and the statement has been since generally acted on as true by persons having an interest in the matter (Evid C §1331) |
| (3) In addition to the above exceptions, there are significant exceptions to the hearsay rule that relate specifically to wills and revocable trusts, including: |
| (a) Evidence of a statement, unless made under circumstances that indicate its lack of trustworthiness, made by a declarant who is unavailable as a witness, that (Evid C §1260) |
| (b) The declarant has or has not made a will or established or amended a revocable trust |
| (c) The declarant has or has not revoked a will, revocable trust, or amendment to a revocable trust; or |
| (d) Identifies the declarant’s will, revocable trust, or an amendment to a revocable trust. |
| (4) Evidence of a statement made on the personal knowledge of the declarant at a time when he or she has recently perceived the matter and while his or her recollection was clear, unless the statement is made under circumstances such as to indicate its lack of trustworthiness (Evid C §1261). |
| 6. Evidence Excluded by Extrinsic Policies—Evid. Code §§1150-1160 |
| 7. Privileges—Evid. Code §§930-1060 |
| 8. Attorney-Client Privilege—Evid. Code §§950, et seq. |
| 9. Attorney Work Product Doctrine—CCP §2018.010, et seq. |
| 10. Objections to Evidence |
| a. Timely and clearly (Evid. C §353(a) |
| b. Other objections |
| (1) Unduly time-consuming, prejudicial, confusing, or misleading (Evid. C. §352) |
| (2) Ambiguous or unintelligible (Evid. C §765(a)) |
| (3) Argumentative (Evid. C §765(a)) |
| (4) Assumes facts not in dispute or not in evidence (Evid. C §§210, 765(a)); |
| (5) Calls for a narrative answer (Evid. C §765(a)) |
| (6) Calls for speculation (Evid. C §§702, 800-801) |
| (7) Compound (Evid. C §765(a)) |
| (8) Asked and answered (Evid. C §765(a)) |
| (9) Leading (Evid. C §§764-765(a)); and |
| (10) Too general (Evid. C §765(a)) |
| H. Motions During Trial |
| 1. Motion for Judgment – CCP §631.8(a) |
| 2. Motion for Nonsuit — CCP §581c |
| 3. Motion for Directed Verdict – CCP §630 |
| 4. Motion for Continuance – CRC 3.1332 |
| 5. Motion to Reopen Case–CCP §§607(6), 602 |
| 6. Motion for Mistrial |
| 7. Motion to Amend Pleadings to Conform to Proof –CCP §469 |
| I. Instructing Jury |
| 1. In General--CCP §§607-628, CRC 2.1050-1058, 3.1560 |
| 2. Negligence Per Se—Norman v. Lifecare Ctrs of America, Inc. (2003) 107 Cap.App.4th 1233 (Violation of regulations governing care of the elderly is grounds for a negligence per se jury instruction) |
| J. Closing Argument |
| 1. Court Trial—Gillette v. Gillette (1960) 180 Cal.App.2d 777, 781 (Privilege at court’s discretion) |
| 2. Jury Trial —CCP §607(7) |
| K. Decision, Objections, Verdict, and Judgment –CCP §632; CRC 3.1590 |
| VIII. POSTTRIAL PRACTICE |
| A. Motion for Judgment Notwithstanding Verdict --CCP §629 |
| B. Motion for New Trial -- CCP §§ 656-662.5 |
| C. In decedent’s estate proceedings, motions for new trial limited to cases: |
| 1. Involving the contest of a will or revocation of probate of a will; or |
| 2. In which a right to jury trial is expressly granted, whether or not the case was tried by a jury (PC §7220) |
| D. Motion to Vacate and Enter Different Judgment -- CCP §663 |
| E. Attorney Fees and Costs —PC § 1002; CCP §§1032, et seq. |
| F. Civil Writs and Appeals |
| IX. ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE -- PC§§ 1000, 1049, 9300-9301, 9302, 15300-15309, 19300-19301, 19302; CCP§§ 128(a)(4), 680.010-724.260, 700.200, 709.030 |
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