Ravi Patel
Law Office of Ravi Patel
My name is Ravi Patel and I am trust litigation attorney based in Oakland, California. I have experience filing Heggstad Petitions throughout the state.
After I graduated from Duke University School of Law, I joined a general practice law firm in my hometown, Bakersfield, California. I worked on various transactional and litigation matters and gained a broad breadth of experience in legal areas including water law, public agency law, property taxes, local taxes, real estate law, and land use law. In 2019, my partner and I relocated to Oakland, California, where I worked for the Oakland City Attorney’s office. As a Deputy City Attorney, I helped the City of Oakland prepare tax policy and pursue tax debts.
I started this practice in 2020. I provide trust litigation services to trustees and beneficiaries looking to claim trust property, remove trustees, or amend, interpret, or enforce trust provisions.
My practice focuses in particular on filing Heggstad Petitions throughout California. Heggstad Petitions are a specialized form of trust petition that allows a trustee to claim property that was accidentally left out of trust, in lieu of going through a probate. Most commonly, Heggstad Petitions are used by successor trustees to confirm the deceased original trustee's home as a trust asset. In that case, the original trustee may have forgotten or neglected to record a deed retitling their home as a trust asset after they executed their trust. Without a court order, the house would have to go through probate, a long and expensive process. But, so long as the trust lists the home as a trust asset, a court can confirm the home as a trust asset for legal purposes. Heggstad Petitions save successor trustees considerable time and money and can be used for homes, accounts, cars, and all kinds of property. https://ravilaw.com/heggstad-petitions
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Trusts, Wills, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Zoom
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Free Consultation
I provide free consultations for estate planning services. I offer all estate planning services on a flat rate basis. I offer limited in-person services in Downtown Oakland, and virtual services throughout the state. I provide consultations for all trust administration-related services. My practice focuses on filing Heggstad Petitions throughout California. Heggstad Petitions are a trust petition that allows a successor trustee to correct or re-title property (including houses, accounts, or other property) as assets of a trust. - Credit Cards Accepted
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Contingent Fees
I accept contingent fee cases for beneficiaries who are seeking to enforce terms of a trust. I litigate cases between siblings, cousins, or other co-beneficiaries regarding the terms of trusts or their proper administration. I file petitions to enforce trust terms, remove trustees, and clarify trust terms. In appropriate cases, my office will pay initial expenses of litigation.
- California
- State Bar of California
- ID Number: 301258
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- English
- Owner
- Law Office of Ravi Patel
- - Current
- The Law Office of Ravi Patel is a trusts and estates practice focused on heggstad petitions, trust litigation, and estate planning. We have won heggstad petitions throughout California. We have won heggstad petitions for homes, bank accounts, cars, and other types of assets. Our heggstad petitions have saved clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate administration fees. The Law Office of Ravi Patel provides trust litigation services to clients in Alameda County. We file cases for beneficiaries of trusts who are seeking to enforce trust terms, remove a trustee, or clarify the intention of the trust. In appropriate cases, we take cases on a contingent basis. The Law Office of Ravi Patel provides estate planning services throughout California. We provide in-person services in Downtown Oakland and virtually throughout California. We can help you prepare a living trust, will, power of attorney, guardianship, spousal property agreement, and other estate planning documents.
- Deputy City Attorney
- City of Oakland
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- I served as a tax and finance deputy City Attorney for the City of Oakland.
- Duke University School of Law
- J.D. (2014) | Law
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- Honors: Cum Laude
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- University of California - Berkeley
- B.A. (2010) | History
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- Honors: Honors
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- State Bar of California # 301258
- Member
- Current
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- Q. My brother passed away this week in his Apartment. I want to get access to his apt. to retrieve personal items.
- A: I am sorry for your loss.
Under California law, your brother's heir(s) have the right to start proceedings to recover the personal items. Your brothers heirs are his spouse and children (living or deceased), or if none, his living parents, or if none, his siblings.
If you are your brother's only heir and his estate was valued at more than $184,500, then you will likely need to file a probate petition in his home county to become appointed as his personal representative. As the personal representative, you could retrieve the personal items, but would also need to complete the entire probate administration process.
If the estate was worth less than $184,500, you may be able ... Read More
- Q. Are expenses made to repair trust properties, made at the trustees expense?
- A: I am sorry to hear you are in this situation. Many trustees are left in untenable financial situations without clear options, and you are not the first successor trustee to consider using their own funds to cover trust expenses.
The trusts expenses are absolutely not your personal responsibility. You have a legal duty to manage the trust in a responsible and professional matter, but that does not extend to making personal financial contributions. Nevertheless, I can understand the instinct to try to support the trust and reduce conflict with the beneficiaries.
If the trust does not direct you to continue to manage the properties as trust assets, you should consider making final distribution ... Read More
- Q. Can an attorney alter information on a petition filed with the court to achieve a certain result?
- A: If your sister gave proper notice of her amended DE-111, it is certainly possible to alter the information from the original petition. Presumably, you would have had notice of the hearing on that amended petition and an opportunity to raise an objection.
If you believe that the administrator is failing to account for assets that are properly part of the estate, especially valuable commercial property, you should consult an attorney immediately. Concealment of assets may be basis to have your sister removed as administrator. Nevertheless, a review of the specific facts of your matter are required.
