Q: How can I find my recently deceased Grandmothers attorney. I have no information on him

A: You should ask other family members who had a close relationship with your grandmother. They might know.

A: Here are five suggestions: (1) check your grandmother’s address book or cell phone for a lawyer’s title [it may have “Esq.” after the lawyer’s name or it may say “attorney” or “lawyer” after the name] or your grandmother may have a business card near her telephone; (2) check with her CPA or look at the receipts and other back up documentation with your grandmother’s last tax returns to see if she sought a tax deduction for any legal expenses. The lawyer’s name would be on any legal bills; (3) If your grandmother owned real estate and the lawyer set up a trust for her, you could search the records of the county Recorder (in the county where the real estate is located) and see if the lawyer’s name is at the top of the grant deed that put her home into her trust. (4) If your grandmother had assets valued at more than $184,500 and did not have a trust, her estate would need to go through probate in which case you could check the records of the probate court in the county where your grandmother lived. Her lawyer’s name would definitely be on all documents filed with the court. (5) Check if the county Bar Association has a Trusts and Estates or a Probate section (group) and contact the Chairperson of that group. In small counties like Monterey, the Bar Association’s section Chairs will circulate an email to all local lawyers who are members of the section seeking the records of a particular person. That won’t work in large counties like Los Angeles because there are too many attorneys and they could be circulating emails like that all day long! I hope these suggestions help you find what you need. Best wishes!

A: I'm sorry for your loss.

If you have no information on your grandmother's attorney, there are several steps you can take to try to locate them:

Check your grandmother's records: Look through your grandmother's records, including any legal documents she may have had, such as a will or trust. These documents may contain the name of her attorney or law firm.

Contact the State Bar: Each state has a State Bar Association, which regulates attorneys in the state. You can contact the State Bar Association in the state where your grandmother lived to ask for a referral to an attorney who may have worked with her.

Check court records: If your grandmother was involved in any legal proceedings, such as a lawsuit or probate case, the attorney's name may be listed in court records.

Check with family and friends: Ask other family members or close friends if they have any information on your grandmother's attorney. They may have been involved in discussions or meetings with the attorney and may have their contact information.

Use online resources: There are several online resources you can use to search for attorneys in a specific area, such as the American Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Directory or online legal directories like Avvo or FindLaw.

It's important to note that the attorney-client relationship is confidential, so the attorney may not be able to disclose information about your grandmother's legal affairs without proper authorization. If you're not the executor of your grandmother's estate, you may need to obtain permission from the executor or administrator before contacting the attorney.