PRIMARY PRACTICE AREA
Financial Elder Abuse
For 30+ years, recovering property, inheritance, and assets taken from California seniors and their families.
When Someone Takes Advantage of an Elder, California Law Fights Back.
Financial elder abuse rarely looks like a stranger’s scam. More often, it’s a caregiver who quietly added their name to a deed. A new “friend” who appeared in the final months and walked away with the estate. A family member who used a power of attorney to drain accounts. A trust amendment signed when your loved one no longer understood what they were signing.
These are the cases Stewart Levin has been litigating for three decades. If something like this has happened in your family, you have more legal options than most people realize — and more time pressure than is comfortable.
Why Families Bring These Cases to Us
Financial elder abuse litigation is not a side practice for us. It is what we do.
Over three decades, Stewart Levin has tried these cases in civil and probate court. He has taught a clinical course at Southwestern Law School to law students and UCLA physicians on expert testimony in financial elder abuse and estate contest cases, and since 2019 has taught an annual symposium to UCLA geriatric psychiatrists on how to testify in elder abuse cases involving contested capacity and undue influence. He has presented on these matters at seminars sponsored by Continuing Education of the Bar and the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Elder Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association has invited him to share what he has learned from actually litigating and resolving these cases.
That depth matters because financial elder abuse cases live at the intersection of three different bodies of law — civil litigation, probate, and the California Elder Abuse Act — and most attorneys are fluent in only one. When a case requires all three, you need someone who has done the work.
How We Recover What Was Taken
Civil Litigation Under the Elder Abuse Act:
California’s Welfare & Institutions Code § 15610.30 defines financial elder abuse broadly — and the remedies are powerful. Successful claims can recover the full value of what was taken, attorneys’ fees, and in cases of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice, double damages under Probate Code § 859.
Deed Cancellation Actions:
Real estate is the most common target — and the highest-stakes.
We file actions to cancel fraudulent deeds, quiet title, and restore property to the elder or their estate.
Alternative Dispute Resolution:
Many of these cases settle. When mediation can return the property faster and at lower cost than trial, we pursue that path — but always from a position of trial readiness. Opposing counsel knows the case can go the distance, and that changes what they are willing to offer.
Trust and Will Contests:
When a trust amendment, will, or deed was procured through undue influence, fraud, or while your loved one lacked capacity, we move to invalidate the document and restore the estate to its rightful beneficiaries. These cases require detailed proof of mental state, the influencer’s relationship, and the circumstances surrounding execution.
Conservatorship Proceedings:
When an elder is currently being exploited and lacks capacity to protect themselves, a conservatorship can stop the bleeding while litigation proceeds.
THE PATTERNS WE SEE MOST OFTEN
Families often sense something is wrong before they can name it.
These are the patterns that come up repeatedly in our cases:
A caregiver, neighbor, or recent acquaintance is suddenly named on bank accounts, deeds, or as a trust beneficiary
An estate plan is changed in the final months or weeks of life, often after a hospital stay or cognitive decline
A family member with power of attorney made transfers that benefited themselves
An elder was isolated from longtime family and friends before documents were signed
A signature appears on a document the elder could not have understood — or did not actually sign
Real property was sold or transferred for far less than market value
Joint accounts were drained shortly before or after death
A romance, lottery, or “government” confidence scam emptied retirement accounts
A new spouse, partner, or “companion” appeared late in life and rerouted the estate
If any of this sounds familiar, the next step is a conversation. Not every situation supports a case, and we will tell you honestly what we see.
What Happens When You Call
Most of our clients have never hired a litigation attorney before.
Here is what the process looks like:
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Step 1
It starts with a conversation.
The case evaluation is free and confidential. You tell us what happened; we tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.
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Step 2
Most clients pay nothing up front.
These cases are typically handled on contingency — we are paid from the recovery, and only if there is one. Hourly arrangements are available for those who prefer them.
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Step 3
We move quickly to preserve evidence.
The estate-planning documents and prior versions, the drafting attorney’s file, medical and capacity records, bank records, and communications surrounding the signing all need to be gathered before they get harder to obtain.
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Step 4
You stay informed.
You will know what is happening, why we are making the choices we make, and what to expect next.
Why Time Matters
Financial elder abuse cases are governed by statutes of limitation that can run as short as one to four years depending on the claim. Evidence — bank records, medical records, witness memories — degrades quickly. Assets get moved, spent, or transferred to third parties who may then claim to be innocent purchasers.
The earlier we get involved, the more options remain on the table. Even if you are not sure whether you have a case, an early conversation costs nothing and preserves your rights.
NO RECOVERY — NO FEE · FREE CASE EVALUATIOn
Reclaim What Was Taken. Secure Your Family’s Legacy.
The case evaluation is free and confidential. Most cases are handled on a contingency basis — no recovery, no fee — though hourly arrangements are available for those who prefer them.
Call (323) 791-0837 or email stewartlevin@gmail.com to speak with Stewart directly.