A5 – The Layering Of Rights – Conservatorship, Supported Decision-Making And Preparing For What’s To Come

Debby Doitch is a shareholder at KJMLAW Partners, where she focuses primarily on probate and trust litigation. She also handles a wide variety of business, employment, real estate and family law disputes, as well as represents petitioners, objectors, creditors, and trustees in probate and bankruptcy proceedings. Debby is a major proponent of working with fiduciaries to help resolve matters when cases become highly contested, and will also represent fiduciaries in their professional roles as well. Debby has extensive trial experience as well as significant success in taking her cases to mediation and arbitration.  

In addition to her extensive probate and litigation experience, Debby represents families in guardianship and conservatorship cases.  Over the years, she continues to succeed in petitioning the court to appoint individuals so that they can help disperse funds and manage estates left to children or other beneficiaries in need of support. Debby is also a court appointed counsel for those with developmental disabilities. Prior to attending law school, Debby was an ABA Behavioral Therapist, where she worked with children with developmental disabilities. 

Debby earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology at California State University, Northridge and a Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law. Outside of practicing law, Debby enjoys spending time with her family, skiing, traveling and volunteering her time in the special needs community. 

Judge Mary Thornton House was a member of the Los Angeles Superior Court bench for 22 years; 8 of those years, she was assigned to a probate department where she presided over trust, wills, and conservatorship matters. She was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles. She is now a private neutral for Alternative Resolution Centers (ARC). She authors Thomson Reuter’s California Civil Jury Instructions Companion Handbook.

Judge House has been honored throughout her career. In 2004, Los Angeles County honored her as one of its ‘Women of the Year’ and named Judge of the Year by the Pasadena Bar Association.  In 2008, the California Judges Association awarded her the Bernard F. Jefferson’s Award for Excellence in Judicial Education. In 2011, the San Fernando Valley Bar Association awarded her the Excellence in Judicial Administration award for her leadership in getting California’s Expedited Jury Trials legislation passed, the development of the current universal judgment form, and simplification of small claims pleadings.  In 2013, the San Fernando Valley Bar Association named her their Judge of the Year.

Judge House graduated from UCLA and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego.