This list is a research starting point, not an endorsement. Otherside Life doesn't yet have a formal vetted-partner relationship with the businesses below — they're real, currently-operating attorneys serving the Los Angeles area, researched directly from each business's own website. Confirm licensing, current pricing, and availability directly with any business before booking, the same way you would with any vendor you find on your own.
If you're working with an Otherside Life account coordinator, they can also help vet and coordinate with a specific option from this list, or a different one you already have in mind.
| Firm | Area | Best For | Worth Knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinojosa & Forer LLP | West LA | Decades of experience with high-value taxable estates | — |
| Law Office of Mitchell A. Port | LA / Westside | 40+ years handling both routine and contested probate | Fee is statutory %, no contingency |
| Ajalat & Ajalat, LLP | Glendale, serving LA County | 60+ years of firm history and direct attorney access | Litigation scope not fully confirmed |
| Albertson & Davidson, LLP | Manhattan Beach / LA | Contingency-fee litigation for contested trusts, no upfront cost | Contingency fee; litigation only |
| Law Offices of David A. Shapiro, P.C. | Mid-Wilshire | Board-certified in trust and probate law | — |
| Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP | Century City | A large full-service firm for high-net-worth estates | Litigation handled jointly, not core focus |
| Sacks, Glazier, Franklin, Lodise, McMurtrey & Scheerer, LLP | Los Angeles | 25 years exclusively in trust and estate litigation | Litigation only, no estate planning |
The list
Hinojosa & Forer LLP
Area: West LA
Best for: Decades of experience with high-value taxable estates
Why hire them: Describes itself as a long-standing, well-respected LA firm with decades of experience, including estates significant enough to require a federal estate tax return, and positions itself as able to both mediate and litigate as the situation calls for.
What they do: Probate and estate administration, trust administration, conservatorship administration and disputes, guardianship petitions, estate planning, and trust/estate/conservatorship litigation (undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, trustee removal, elder abuse).
Law Office of Mitchell A. Port
Area: LA / Westside
Best for: 40+ years handling both routine and contested probate
Why hire them: Over four decades of experience, covering both uncontested administration and contested probate litigation — no board certifications or firm size are disclosed on the site.
What they do: Probate administration, estate-planning and probate-avoidance tools (living trusts, transfer-on-death designations), probate litigation, and administration support like appraisals and accountings.
What they don't do / limitations: Fees reference California's statutory percentage of the probate estate; no contingency arrangement mentioned.
Ajalat & Ajalat, LLP
Area: Glendale, serving LA County
Best for: 60+ years of firm history and direct attorney access
Why hire them: 60+ years of firm experience and thousands of clients helped, per their site, with client testimonials citing communication and thoroughness. Offers direct attorney access and a free consultation.
What they do: Probate administration guidance, will and trust validation matters, fiduciary duty violation claims, and guardianship contests.
What they don't do / limitations: The page doesn't explicitly confirm trust litigation, elder abuse, conservatorship, or tax-filing services — those are unconfirmed rather than ruled out.
Albertson & Davidson, LLP
Area: Manhattan Beach / LA
Best for: Contingency-fee litigation for contested trusts, no upfront cost
Why hire them: Partners each cite 20+ years of experience and the firm states it has recovered over $425 million in settlements and verdicts, with an exclusive focus on trust and estate litigation — described on their site as taking only complex, high-stakes cases.
What they do: Trust and will contests, fiduciary/trustee removal actions, elder financial abuse claims, trustee theft and surcharge litigation, and representation of beneficiaries, fiduciaries, and executors.
What they don't do / limitations: Cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis with no upfront costs. The firm's stated focus is litigation of contested matters — no estate planning, will drafting, or uncontested administration mentioned.
Law Offices of David A. Shapiro, P.C.
Area: Mid-Wilshire
Best for: Board-certified in trust and probate law
Why hire them: David Shapiro is Board Certified in Trust & Probate Law, a former Co-Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar's Trusts & Estates Section, and the firm states it doesn't turn away cases based on complexity or how “standard” they appear.
What they do: Trust contests and will contests, probate litigation and administration, breach of fiduciary duty claims, elder abuse matters, guardianships and conservatorships, and spousal property petitions.
Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP
Area: Century City
Best for: A large full-service firm for high-net-worth estates
Why hire them: A large, full-service firm (not a boutique) serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and fiduciaries nationally and abroad, with multiple attorneys recognized in Best Lawyers in America and the firm ranked among LA County's top 100.
What they do: Estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, charitable trusts), trust administration and probate settlement including in-house tax returns, and trust/probate litigation.
What they don't do / limitations: For litigation matters, the trusts-and-estates team collaborates with the firm's litigators rather than handling it as a standalone specialty — estate planning and administration read as the core in-house strength.
Sacks, Glazier, Franklin, Lodise, McMurtrey & Scheerer, LLP
Area: Los Angeles
Best for: 25 years exclusively in trust and estate litigation
Why hire them: Founded in 2001 specifically to practice trust, estate, and conservatorship litigation exclusively — now marking 25 years in that focus, with a Band 1 Chambers ranking and multiple Best Lawyers honorees. The firm notes that opposing firms sometimes refer clients to them when they have a conflict of interest.
What they do: Pretrial, trial, appeals, and mediation for trust, estate, and conservatorship disputes throughout California.
What they don't do / limitations: Their positioning — contrasted explicitly against firms whose estate-planning lawyers “occasionally” litigate — implies they don't handle estate planning or document drafting; litigation is the exclusive focus.
Before you call
Every entry here was pulled from the business's own website. Business hours, pricing, and availability change — confirm directly before you commit to anything, and don't hesitate to ask about experience with end-of-life situations specifically if it isn't already clear from their site.
Getting started
If you'd rather not coordinate this yourself, an Otherside Life account coordinator can — see how a coordinator helps with Legal & Estate for what that actually looks like, or talk to a coordinator directly about your specific situation.