Business Details
21 Years
experience
Your Trusted Estate Planning & Probate Lawyer in Livermore
Lewman Law has been dedicated to protecting families through comprehensive estate planning and probate services for over two decades. Our Livermore-based practice combines deep legal expertise with a personalized approach, addressing complex matters such as trust administration, will disputes, and Medi-Cal qualification. With founder John Lewman's 20+ years of experience and a client-focused philosophy, we prioritize clear communication, tailored solutions, and proactive guidance to navigate estate planning challenges.Our team stays current with California's evolving legal landscape to ensure clients receive accurate, forward-thinking advice. We emphasize education and empowerment, helping clients understand their options while crafting strategies that align with their unique family and financial situations. Our commitment to responsiveness and thoroughness has earned consistent praise from clients who value our compassionate yet results-driven representation.
Services
Estate Planning
Probate Administration
Trust Litigation
Medi-Cal Planning
Will Disputes
Details
- Year established: 2005
Highlights and features
- 20+ years of specialized estate law experience in Livermore
- Personalized approach tailored to individual family needs
- Proven expertise in complex probate and trust litigation
- Responsive communication with no rushed consultations
- Strategies to minimize probate and protect assets
What people say
Exceptional responsiveness
Comprehensive legal knowledge
Patient and thorough
Excellent documentation
Respected by peers
Services
Estate Planning
Our comprehensive estate planning services create legally sound strategies to protect assets and honor wishes. We specialize in customized wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives that minimize probate complications. Clients receive personalized guidance to ensure their legacy plans address family needs while complying with California regulations, providing peace of mind through proper documentation and future-proofing.
Probate Administration
We guide executors through California's probate process with expert legal representation and administrative support. Our services include estate inventory management, debt settlement, tax compliance, and asset distribution according to wills or state law. We help clients navigate court requirements efficiently while minimizing family conflicts during difficult transitions, ensuring proper fulfillment of fiduciary responsibilities.
Trust Litigation
Our firm handles complex trust disputes involving contested amendments, fiduciary breaches, or beneficiary disagreements. We provide strategic representation for mediation or courtroom proceedings, focusing on resolving conflicts while preserving family relationships. Our experience includes cases involving undue influence claims, trustee removals, and trust modification proceedings to achieve fair outcomes for all parties involved.
Medi-Cal Planning
We help families qualify for Medi-Cal benefits while protecting assets from estate recovery. Our planning strategies address nursing home costs, asset transfers, and eligibility requirements through legal tools like irrevocable trusts. We provide clear guidance on maintaining quality care options while navigating California's complex healthcare funding regulations to preserve family wealth.
Will Disputes
Our team resolves contested will matters through negotiation or litigation, representing both challengers and defenders. We handle issues like improper execution, lack of capacity, or suspicious circumstances surrounding estate documents. We provide strategic counsel to resolve family conflicts while protecting clients' interests in contested inheritance situations, ensuring proper legal procedures are followed.
People
John F. Lewman
Founder & Attorney
With 20+ years of experience, John Lewman specializes in estate planning, probate, and trust litigation. A UC Davis economics graduate and McGeorge School of Law alumnus, he combines legal expertise with compassionate representation. Active in community sports, he brings practical wisdom to complex estate matters while maintaining strong peer respect in California's legal community.
Questions
What happens if someone dies without a will in California?
California intestacy laws determine asset distribution when someone dies without a will. Spouses and children typically receive priority, but the process can become complex with blended families or contested claims. Our firm helps families navigate these legal requirements.
How can Medi-Cal planning protect my assets?
Proper Medi-Cal planning uses legal tools like irrevocable trusts to protect assets while qualifying for nursing home benefits. We help clients structure their estates to meet eligibility requirements while minimizing exposure to California's estate recovery program.
What are the benefits of creating a trust?
Trusts help avoid probate, maintain privacy, and provide greater control over asset distribution. They're particularly valuable for complex estates, blended families, or those seeking to protect assets from creditors while ensuring smooth wealth transfer to beneficiaries.
How do you handle trust disputes?
We prioritize mediation to resolve trust conflicts amicably, but we're prepared for courtroom representation when necessary. Our approach focuses on protecting client interests while minimizing family discord through strategic legal solutions.
What's involved in probate administration?
Probate involves validating wills, inventorying assets, settling debts, and distributing inheritances under court supervision. We guide executors through each step, handling legal filings, creditor negotiations, and tax compliance to ensure efficient estate settlement.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Review your estate plan every 3-5 years or after major life events like marriage, divorce, childbirth, or significant asset changes. We help clients maintain up-to-date documents that reflect current wishes and legal requirements.
Reviews (5)
Eric M.
Sep 22, 2021
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The team at Lewman Law worked wonders with the courts, and saw to a peaceful outcome in our case. If you need someone to make sense of your trust or probate in general, call John today. We were in great hands the entire time, and were kept apprised of changes in our case constantly. Very much appreciate their diligence and expertise.
Beth R.
Feb 24, 2021
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Not only is losing a family member hard enough. Then you have to deal with the aftermath of everything that follows. I was scared, overwhelmed and extremely unprepared to handle my beloved aunts estate. I knew this was going to be a messy process; I'm beyond grateful to have come in contact with Lewman Law. John Lewman and his assistant Sue Randi (she's a godsend) went above and beyond with guiding me through the necessary steps for being an executor of my aunts estate. I have a special needs sibling that required extra steps for setting up a supplemental trust, that Lewman law assisted
Terrie V.
Jun 02, 2020
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Lewman Law took care of a personal matter for me and I could not be happier! They were professional and endlessly patient with all my questions! I would highly recommend them to anyone and if the need arises again, they will be my first call!
Karen Bacon
Sep 23, 2019
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John helped me with several items. He is thorough, he listens to your needs and provides options for you. He is honest and a true professional.
Barbara C.
Aug 31, 2019
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John and his staff are amazing! we needed to restate our trust and take care of a few other needed documents. They made all of the necessary changes, created the needed new documents, made SURE we had complete and total understanding of what they were intended for and how they should be handled. Reviewed all of our current statements and wow...we had some that were so old that we had totally forgotten about what we had stated originally. I can't thank them enough for the attention to detail that he went through and made US go through, after all...this is our estate and we are the ones that
