News & Events

Estate Planning Across High-Net-Worth and Ultra-Net-Worth Levels

As wealth grows, estate planning often shifts from relatively straightforward asset protection and distribution planning to more complex questions about estate taxes, business ownership, legacy goals, and the preservation of wealth across generations. The right approach depends not only on the size of an estate but also on family dynamics, financial priorities, and the long-term vision behind the plan especially when comparing high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth estates. How Do High-Net-Worth and […]

Casa Treatment Center for Women in Pasadena is recognized as one of the nation’s leading treatment centers for addiction recovery, offering a wide range of professional care services and support for women. KJMLAW Partners is proud to sponsor the 29th Annual Colleen Williams Charity Golf Tournament benefiting Casa Treatment Center on June 6, 2026. We look forward to bringing a strong team to support their deeply important work in serving, […]

KJMLAW Sponsors 31st Annual PFAC Educational Conference

KJMLAW Partners is proud to sponsor the 31st Annual Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC) Educational Conference taking place May 27–30, 2026, in Sacramento. As part of the conference program, Debby Doitch will present alongside Mary Thornton House, Ana Maria Luna, and Sarah Broomer on the panel: Capacity Clash: Navigating the Interplay of Roles and Conflict in Fiduciary Practice. The presentation will take place on May 29, 2026, at 3:15 […]

What Beneficiaries Should Do if Someone Is Mismanaging an Estate

Even if you know that you’re one of the beneficiaries of a loved one’s estate, it can take several months (and sometimes even a year or more) to receive the assets that were left to you. But if the person managing the estate mishandles the assets within it, you could be waiting much longer. If you think the executor or administrator of a decedent’s estate is mismanaging the assets within […]

How to Reduce the Risk of Trustee Personal Liability

Newly appointed trustees often share a version of the same admission with me: they agreed to serve because it felt like the right thing to do, and only afterward did they realize how many rules come with the role. Trusteeship is manageable, and it requires deliberate attention, informed judgment, and consistent adherence to fiduciary duties. Serving as a trustee carries significant legal responsibility. Under the California Probate Code and general […]

Tax Implications of Selling Artwork How artwork is taxed depends largely on who is selling it and why they owned it. If an artist sells their own artwork, that income is treated as ordinary income. 26 US Code §1221(a)(3)(A). This is because artwork created by the artist, under tax law, has been explicitly excluded from the definition of “capital asset”. As a result, the sale proceeds are taxed at ordinary […]

lawyer and trustee signing a living trust

A Gentle Guide to Trust Administration in California A trust is designed to avoid probate, but it still requires thoughtful and active administration after its creator passes away. Creating a trust is similar to preparing an architectural blueprint: the framework is carefully planned, the specifications clearly defined, and the intended result mapped out in advance. Once the designer is no longer present, however, someone must interpret those plans, apply them […]

KJMLAW SuperLawyers Kevin Moore Debby Doitch

KJMLAW Partners is pleased to announce that partners Kevin J. Moore and Debby S. Doitch have been selected to the 2026 Southern California list by Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers recognizes outstanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations, with only a small percentage of attorneys in each state receiving this distinction annually. Kevin […]

Probate. You’ve heard this term tossed around by attorneys and finance professionals. Everyone says it’s annoying, time-consuming, and that you need to avoid it. But what is it? Probate is the court-supervised legal process of validating the will (if one exists) of someone who passed away, paying their debts and taxes, and distributing their remaining assets to heirs or beneficiaries according to the will or state law. Probate court is […]

KJMLAW Partners is pleased to participate in the STEP Orange County 14th Annual Institute on Tax, Estate Planning, and the World Economy. The Institute convenes leading practitioners to explore current developments in tax and estate planning and the broader global economic landscape. We are proud to have Kevin J. Moore representing the firm as a speaker during a Master Class session, sharing practical insights with peers and industry leaders. STEP […]

KJMLAW Partners is proud to support the 2026 Special Needs Planning Symposium, which brings together leading professionals for education and collaboration. The symposium will take place February 5–7, 2026, in Napa, California, with both in-person and virtual attendance options available. For more information and registration visit https://sntsymposium.com/2026-registration/

September 23, 2025 Kevin J. Moore has long-established himself as a resource and authority in the tax world. Recently credentialed by the State Bar of California in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, Moore’s pursuit of current knowledge of the industry positions himself as an obvious choice for insight. In September, Katherine Clarke of the Wall Street Journal wrote the article “Ellen DeGeneres Has Turned House Flipping Into a $190 […]

September 2, 2025 (PASADENA, CA) – KJMLAW Partners will attend the 62nd annual Hawaii Tax Institute (HTI) Conference in November 2025 as a returning sponsor with firm founder Kevin J. Moore as a confirmed speaker. The conference, held in Hawaii’s bustling capital city of Honolulu, will offer five days of programming geared toward tax and wealth transfer-oriented industry professionals. Moore will co-present with Todd Hammond, a national business development officer […]

Trusts are powerful tools used in estate planning to protect and distribute assets according to a person’s wishes. But what happens when something goes wrong? What if someone’s left out, the rules aren’t followed, or the money disappears? Litigation might become the answer. Unlike probate, trust litigation involves disputes over trusts that often avoid probate and can arise at various stages, focusing on issues related to trustee conduct and trust […]

Advanced Estate Planning Techniques with Andrew Nutbrown

Partner Andrew Nutbrown was recently interviewed on The Probate Expert Bill Gross’ Estate Planning Podcast, during which Nutbrown discussed the logistics and ethos of being an estate planning lawyer. In Nutbrown’s third appearance as a podcast guest speaker for estate planning professionals, he discusses the process by which clients determine they need an estate planning attorney with, specifically, international estate planning experience. Nutbrown, who is originally from Canada and dually […]

Tax Changes From the Big Beautiful Bill and What They Mean for You

July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA), a big reconciliation bill that made some tax changes to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). While most of the bill extends existing tax provisions, there are some important updates – especially for businesses and high income earners. Below we break down the changes and what they mean for you. As always, our team of transaction […]

July 21, 2025 (PASADENA, CA) – KJMLAW Partners, PLC founder Kevin J. Moore, earned a Certificate of Specialization in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California in April 2025. Moore has over 30 years’ experience as an estate planning, trust and probate attorney. In addition to his juris doctorate, he holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Taxation and Business. According to the State […]

California’s New AB 2016 Streamlines Probate Process for Estates Under $750K

California’s probate landscape has undergone significant changes, creating new opportunities for streamlined estate transfers. The passage of Assembly Bill No. 2016 (AB 2016) on September 21st, 2024, signed by Governor Newsom, modernizes procedures for property transitions, including certain provisions that benefit estates of varying sizes. While the bill’s main change raises the small estate threshold for primary residences to $750,000, its broader reforms to affidavits, petitions, and notice requirements offer […]

Diptych of a foursome of golf players and a golfing trophy

July 7, 2025 (PASADENA, CA) – KJMLAW Partners Debby Doitch and Andrew Nutbrown golfed with colleagues Jamen Wurm and Jonathan Lo as a part of the firm’s sponsorship of the 28th Annual Colleen Williams Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Casa Treatment Center for Women. The tournament, which took place at the San Gabriel Country Club, welcomed 144 players in 36 teams. Morning activities included a silent auction, barbeque lunch […]

June 18, 2025 (PASADENA, CA) – Attorney Tracy Wong has joined KJMLAW Partners as a part of the firm’s Litigation team under partner Debby Doitch. Wong joins KJMLAW Partners as a practiced Litigation attorney from the greater Los Angeles area. Her work at the firm includes litigating contests of the administration of wills or trusts, conservatorships, and guardianship issues. Wong has dedicated experience in litigation and immigration law for public […]

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News & Events

Estate Planning Across High-Net-Worth and Ultra-Net-Worth Levels

KJMLAW Partners Sponsors the Colleen Williams 29th Charity Golf Tournament Benefiting Casa Treatment Center for Women

KJMLAW Partners Sponsors the 31st Annual PFAC Conference, Featuring Debby Doitch as Panelist Speaker

What Beneficiaries Should Do if Someone Is Mismanaging an Estate

How to Reduce the Risk of Trustee Personal Liability

Art Law Insights

What Happens to a Trust After Someone Dies?

Kevin J. Moore and Debby S. Doitch Named to 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers List

Top Reasons to Avoid Probate in California

KJMLAW Partners participates in the STEP Orange County 14th Annual Institute on Tax, Estate Planning

KJMLAW PARTNERS PROUDLY SPONSORS THE 2026 SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING SYMPOSIUM

KJM CONTRIBUTES TO WSJ ARTICLE ABOUT REAL ESTATE, TAXES

KEVIN J. MOORE, FIRM, SPONSOR HAWAII TAX INSTITUTE CONFERENCE

What is Trust Litigation?

Andrew Nutbrown Talks Estate Planning Techniques with The Probate Expert

Tax Changes From the Big Beautiful Bill and What They Mean for You

KEVIN J. MOORE CERTIFIED IN SPECIALTY BY CALIFORNIA STATE BAR

California’s New AB 2016 Streamlines Probate Process for Estates Under $750K

KJMLAW PARTNERS GOLF TO GLORY

KJMLAW PARTNERS WELCOMES NEW ATTORNEY TRACY WONG