Hello, I'm Mike Hackard. I lead Hackard Law, a law firm that focuses on significant estate, trust and elder financial abuse litigation in California. I'm the author of the new book Alzheimer's, Widowed Stepmothers & Estate Crimes, now available on Amazon.
Quite often these days, disinherited people will call me about their case, and I have to make a snap judgment on whether it looks like I should dig deeper. Did someone commit a wrong against them, intentionally or unintentionally? Is there a clear instance of injustice? Who is the abused, and who might be the abuser?
It's not up to me to make moral judgments about potential clients - I seldom gain a complete bird's-eye view on a family situation. That said, I prefer to work hard for someone who's been harmed by an injustice and needs help to right the wrong. While I don't take a case based on whether or not I like someone personally, I will only commit time and resources to the fight when I firmly believe a prospective client has been treated unjustly.
For anyone who seeks action on a disputed estate, paying for litigation is always expensive. Just like gravity affects how high we're able to jump without a jetpack strapped to our backs, financial good sense requires us to operate on an economy of scale. Significant cases mean we're able to make a significant difference, and in the right circumstances, attorney's fees can be paid through a contingency agreement or a combination of contingency and hourly fees. In any case, contingency arrangements are regulated by California ethical and professional rules and always put in writing with proper disclosures. Simply put, a contingency fee agreement has to make sense for both the attorney and the client.
If you would like a free digital copy of Alzheimer's, Widowed Stepmothers & Estate Crimes, email us at hackard@hackardlaw.com. I'm happy to share this book on a very important topic.