Piccuta Law Group Reaches $400,000.00 Settlement in Heavily Contested Santa Clara County Probate Matter
On December 4th, 2014, Judge Aaron Persky approved a Petition for Settlement of a heavily contested trust contest pending in the Santa Clara County Superior Court Probate Division. The Piccuta Law Group represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit which was filed in October 2013. The lawsuit challenged amendments to two trusts made by an elderly couple. The amendments to the two trusts disinherited the plaintiffs and all to the benefit of one of the defendants.
The lawsuit advanced claims for financial elder abuse, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with prospective economic advantage and sought to void the amendments to the trusts. The parties attended mediation with retired judge Catherine Gallagher and reached a mediated settlement of $400,000.00. After attorney’s fees, the settlement returned five times more money to the Plaintiffs than they would have received if they did not advance the probate litigation and challenge the amendments to the trusts.
