With the passage of AB 2016 primary residences with a value of $750,000 are exempt from formal probate proceedings. Does this mean that trusts are dead because Californians will no longer need a trust to avoid probate? Will formal probate practice be at end for both probate attorneys and professional fiduciaries? How will the new law impact estate planning? A review of prior law, the changes effective April 1, 2025, and how the new rules will impact both the practice of attorneys and private fiduciaries.
C6 – 2025: Are Trusts Dead? AB 2016
Speakers
Amanda Sinclair
Hyden Zakheim, LLP
My practice focuses primarily on estate planning, special needs planning and administrations, probate matters, including administrations and other matters before the probate court, and trust administrations.
I received my Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1993. I went on to earn my juris doctor from the UC College of the Law, San Francisco, with a Tax Concentration in 1997. I was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 1997 and became a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, & Probate Law, by the State Bar of California, Board of Specialization in 2017. I am also a licensed California real estate broker.
I find deep, professional satisfaction assisting and advising clients during times of personal difficulty and stress. I am happy to interface with other service providers, such as accountants, realtors, and financial advisors, to provide seamless client service. My clients include individuals, trustees, executors, guardians, conservators, personal representatives, private fiduciaries, and non-profit agencies. For those of you who know me, I have a child with very severe cognitive, developmental, and medical challenges and have a passion for providing exceptional legal services and support to people living with disabilities and people with loved ones living with disabilities.
I have been associated with Hyden Zakheim, LLP since March 2016. Prior to joining Hyden Zakheim, LLP, I was a partner at Trust & Probate Law Group for nine years. Previously, I practiced in the areas of global stock planning, international corporate structuring, business entity formation, venture financing, and corporate governance, including human resources, real property, and tax matters.
I was born in Augsburg, Germany and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. My personal interests include volunteering for organizations assisting families with children with special needs and local libraries, dachshunds, running, and hiking. Of particular interest to me is helping families with children living with autism, special medical needs, or developmental disabilities in order to maximize their potential, independence, security, and happiness. In May 2013, I joined the Family Advisory Council at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland as a council member and I recently served as the President of the Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council, a multi-disciplinary group of professionals dedicated to improving the estate planning and administration profession.