Debby S. Doitch

Debby S. Doitch headshot

Probate and Litigation Counsel/Shareholder

(626) 568-9300 ext. 111

Debby Doitch has since 2009 defended a wide variety of business, employment and real estate disputes; handled family law matters; and represented petitioners, objectors, creditors, and trustees in probate and bankruptcy proceedings. Ms. Doitch’s business and real estate litigation experience includes:

  • On behalf of a closely held property-management company, successfully defended a law suit brought in Orange County Superior Court alleging that our client was liable for conversion and responsible for indemnifying the plaintiffs. The court granted our demurrer and dismissed the entire action.
  • On behalf of a Southern California-based manufacturing company, successfully obtained a restraining order in Los Angeles Superior Court that prevented a former employee from using customer lists and other trade secret information that the former employee used to try to lure away clients.
  • On behalf of a family-owned business that owned a 22-unit building, successfully defended it against a claim brought by an employee that the business had violated various provisions for the California Labor Code. The employee sought more than $500,000 in attorney’s fees. Within six months of filing, and before the law suit had entered the discovery stage, negotiated a nominal settlement that resulted in dismissal of the law suit.

Ms. Doitch has significant experience in mediation and arbitration sessions, including the following:

  • Successfully represented a general contractor client involved in a legal fee dispute with a prior attorney at a one-day arbitration that lasted 14 hours. The opposing party contested the arbitrator’s ruling, which resulted in trial court proceedings to confirm the arbitration award, and an appeal which Ms. Doitch settled prior to submitting the matter to the Appellate Court.

Ms Doitch ‘s experience in family law dates back to her time as a law student, and includes the following:

  • Represented our clients in marriage dissolutions, child custody disputes, and related family law proceedings
  • Served as a mediator for parties seeking to amicably resolve their divorce.
  • Represented clients in wrongful child abduction cases under the Hague Convention Act, including successfully obtaining an order for return of the child on behalf of our client.

Ms. Doitch’s probate and bankruptcy litigation experience includes:

  • On behalf of a family-owned business that invested in real estate, obtained leave from a bankruptcy stay. The client had a lien in third position against a commercial property owned by the borrower in bankruptcy. As a result of the lifting of the bankruptcy stay, our client was able to obtain the property through a non-judicial foreclosure.
  • Negotiated more than 25 probate petitions, including Heggsted petitions confirming title of property, removal of trustees, administration of estates, and conservatorships.
  • Defended parties in a complex trust dispute involving claims of financial elder abuse and fraud against our clients that required filing and objecting to competing probate petitions. After extensive litigation and various settlement meetings, ultimately settled the matter on the eve of trial and resulted in a favorable resolution for our clients without any individual liability or exposure to our clients.

In addition to Ms. Doitch’s extensive probate and litigation experience she also has represented families in guardianship and conservatorship cases successfully petitioning the court to appoint individuals to disperse funds and manage estates left to children or other beneficiaries.

  • Works closely with financial advisors to ensure funds left for children are invested to grow and produce a good return.
  • Works on contested and uncontested conservatorships.

Ms. Doitch is a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, and Western State University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in California, and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.