I am excited to announce that our firm, Scherer Smith & Kenny LLP, successfully defended the trustee in a hotly contested estate-plan / trust dispute involving the trustee’s mother’s estate and elder abuse / undue influence challenges by the trustee’s three siblings. The matter was tried before the Honorable Edward G. Weil in Contra Costa County over ten trial days in Contra Costa County, beginning January 24, 2018, and concluding February 14, 2018. A high point in the trial came when the Court allowed us to play a tape-recorded meeting between the trustee's three siblings and their mother that “provided a window into the dynamics of the relationships.” In the words of the Court, it “had the rare opportunity to hear from the decedent in her own voice.” We are pleased to have achieved such a favorable result for our client in the face of highly-charged allegations of physical elder abuse and undue influence. The Tentative Decision became final on April 24, 2018. We are currently seeking the recovery of over $50,000 in costs, including expert witness fees following an exchange of a CCP Section 998 Offer to Compromise.