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Year in Review Column,
Wills, Estates & Trusts,
Probate

Jan. 14, 2026

Top 5 trusts and estates cases of 2025

Five 2025 appellate rulings that trusts and estates practitioners need to know, from reformation petitions and elder abuse liability to demurrer deadlines and will revocation requirements.

Ciarán O’Sullivan

Ciarán has litigated trusts and estates disputes in trial and appellate courts since 1998. He is a member of the executive committee of the California Lawyers Association's Trusts and Estates section.

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Top 5 trusts and estates cases of 2025
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Although 2025 was a light year for trusts and estates opinions from the appellate courts, some of them were nevertheless quite consequential for practitioners. What follows is a discussion of five 2025 cases, chosen only because they piqued this author's interests. A brief summary of every 2025 case issued in this practice area can be found on the California Lawyers Associat...

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