Wills & Probate

Nikki B. Allen brings a wealth of experience to her legal practice. She is licensed in both California and Colorado and has practiced law for over twenty years. Ms. Allen began her career in 2000 as an attorney in Denver, Colorado with Kutak Rock, LLP, a national law firm with more than 450 attorneys in 16 offices. She specialized in finance law, where she represented numerous municipal clients and real estate developers. She was involved in the closing of numerous multi-million dollar transactions. When Ms. Allen moved to Palm Desert, California in 2005, she broadened her practice to include all types of business law, including the purchases and sales of real estate and businesses, entity formation and contract drafting. Specifically, she focuses on estate planning, which include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advanced health care directives and special needs trusts. Ms. Allen also represents clients in probate and trust litigation, as well as the administration of trusts and probate of estates. She handles all real estate issues and civil litigation, including homeowner association disputes, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, and construction disputes. Ms. Allen loves helping her clients resolve their legal issues. She also strives to help her clients avoid costly litigation. Ms. Allen attended the University of Massachusetts where she played Division I soccer with a fabulous team, including US Women’s National Team Player Brianna Scurry. She had the neat opportunity of playing in the Final Four against Mia Hamm. Ms. Allen graduated cum laude from the University of Denver College of Law in 2000 and is a member of the California and Colorado Bar Associations. She was on the University of Denver Law Review and had an article published while still in law school. Palm Springs Life Magazine named her as a “Top Lawyer” for the past ten years in a row, consecutively. In addition to practicing law, she enjoys living in Palm Desert with her husband, her eleven year old son, Jack, and coaching his soccer team.

Daniel J. Cooper is a California attorney and has been the sole shareholder of Daniel J. Cooper, a professional corporation, since 1980. Mr. Cooper’s practice emphasizes estate planning, trust administration, probate, Trust & Will controversies, and the representation of clients before the U.S. Tax Court, State Board of Equalization, Internal Revenue Service, and the California Franchise Tax Board in connection with federal, state and administrative tax disputes. He is an active member of the Orange County Bar Association and the State Bar of California and is currently Chairman of the Trust & Estate Section of the Orange County Bar Association. He is authorized by the Trust & Estate Section of the State Bar of California to make presentations on the subject of Elder Financial Abuse. Mr. Cooper is active in community affairs and has been a Parks & Recreation Commissioner for the City of Laguna Hills for more than 10 years. He is also active in with the Boys Scouts of America and is currently committee chairman of Troop 729 in Laguna Hills, California. All three of his sons are Eagle Scouts. Prior to entering the legal profession, Mr. Cooper was an income tax auditor for the Franchise Tax Board and a manager in the tax department of Arthur Young & Co., Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Cooper has lectured extensively on real estate taxes, state and local taxes, and federal income taxes at the graduate school level at the University of Southern California, the University of California at Irvine and Golden Gate University. Additionally, Mr. Cooper has participated as an instructor in the continuing professional education program for the California Certified Public Accountants Education Foundation and has lectured for various professional groups. Mr. Cooper is admitted to practice law in the State of California, before the United States District Court (Southern & Central Districts), United States Tax Court and the United States Supreme Court. As an undergraduate, Mr. Cooper attended California State University at Los Angeles and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting. He received his Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. During the Vietnam War, Mr. Cooper served as a military policeman in the United States Army and was stationed in Hawaii and Thailand. He was honorably discharged and attended college on the GI Bill.

D. Randall Ensminger been practicing civil and criminal law for over 35 years and found that our clients truly appreciate the time and effort we put into every aspect of their legal needs. We're here to help you succeed and that's something we don't take lightly. At Ensminger Law Offices, we are here to listen to your needs and help you accomplish your goals in any way we can. We know that navigating legal and real estate issues can be overwhelming and tough on your wallet and we've got a number of different options that you and/or your family can review to keep costs as low as possible. General civil and criminal trial practice with emphasis on real estate, plaintiff's personal injury and/wrongful death, probate and bankruptcy law.

I grew up in Napa, California and retain strong family ties there. I raised my family in Southern California and as a result I am now a Southern California Transplant. I graduated from Occidental College in 1993 with a degree in Politics and gained sales and management experience for four years prior to enrolling in Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1997. I earned my Juris Doctorate from Loyola in 2001 and graduated in the top 10% of my division. I have been a civil litigator my entire career, conducting over 2000 bench trials and more than 350 of these in probate court alone. I have been victorious in well over 95% of these trials, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for my clients. As I move to my mid 50’s, my children are pretty much all grown, my life is stable, and I am focused on providing excellent, high quality, and focused attention to individualized cases where I believe I can truly make a difference. I want to get to know my clients and I want them to get to know me.

California attorney Scott Rahn resolves contests, disputes and litigation related to trusts, estates and conservatorships, creating a welcome peace of mind for clients. He represents heirs, beneficiaries, trustees and executors. He utilizes his experience to develop and implement strategies that swiftly and efficiently address the financial issues, fiduciary duties and emotional complexities underlying trust contests, estates conflicts and probate litigation. Driven by a commitment to provide relief to people grieving the loss of a loved one, Scott collaborates closely with clients. He pursues and defends claims involving incapacity, incompetence, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other similar areas of dispute. His advice and counsel includes prevention and remediation of financial elder abuse.

Hiring a lawyer can be intimidating. Stepping into a lawyer's office can be even more stressful. At our firm, however, we strive to take the stress out of your legal matter. When you walk into our office, you will find a small, family-oriented firm focused on providing valuable and friendly service. John is the only attorney, and our legal secretary, Veronica, is his sister's childhood best friend. They have worked together for 20 years and treat each other like family. They will treat you the same.

David P. Slater has over 30 years of litigation and general practice experience and handles all accident cases from investigation through trial, including motor vehicle, slip and fall, construction and wrongful death. He is experienced in all real estate and landlord and tenant matters, collections, business practices and probate. He has been associated with various law firms throughout New York City for more than 20 years. He is now in private practice in Boca Raton, Florida. He is also a licensed Realtor in the State of Florida, an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and a Special Magistrate to the Palm Beach County (Florida Department of Building, Zoning and Planning. He has written various legal articles that have been published in Florida newspapers. He taught business law at a local college and has lectured attorneys and business professionals in the area of landlord and tenant law. He is a former Traffic Court Hearing Officer, deputy chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals in the Village of Chestnut Ridge, Rockland County, N.Y., and arbitrator with the Civil Court of the City of New York, Division of Small Claims, as well as the American Arbitration Association. Of Counsel and per diem associations with members of the Florida Bar are actively sought throughout the state.

Our law firm uses a team approach that insures you receive the information and advice you need with the service and attention you deserve. Our firm has legal assistants that assist us in the handling of your case. Our full-service Law Firm, provide advice, guidance, and skilled advocacy in the areas of: Family Law / Domestic Law Real Estate Disputes (including Foreclosure Defense) Business Law / Corporate Law Estate Planning & Probate Civil Litigation (Federal and State Court) Personal Injury / Auto Accidents Traffic / Criminal Defense Wills/Trusts/Probate Our law firm uses a team approach that insures you receive the information and advice you need with the service and attention you deserve. Our firm has legal assistants that assist us in the handling of your case. Taniya Reaves, Legal Assistant, assists Attorney Tom Roupas while Cindy Lugo provides support to all areas and helps ensure that communication flow is smooth at the Law Office of Thomas F. Roupas, Jr. We will not take your case unless we have the confidence to take it from start to finish; however, we believe Attorney Thomas F. Roupas, Jr. possess the strongest qualifications that enable them to tackle even the most complex legal issues.

Michael S. Haber has been practicing law in New York for more than 25 years. He brings extensive expertise in both litigation and estate-related matters. His broad experience makes him an ideal choice for handling a variety of cases, including probate, estate administration, trusts, and guardianships. Throughout his career, Michael has represented clients in nearly every major state and federal court, including the New York Surrogate’s Court, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, New York Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals. His work in these courts has contributed to shaping new legal precedents, highlighting his capability to manage even the most complex legal matters. Michael’s qualifications extend beyond estate-related cases to include real estate and other related legal issues. His experience in diverse courts throughout New York gives him a keen understanding of the different approaches taken by various judges and jurisdictions.

Lee C. Falke stepped down as Prosecuting Attorney of Montgomery County, Ohio, to engage in the private practice of law. Lee served a record 28 years as Montgomery County Prosecutor, earning a national reputation as an innovator and consistently having the best record of successful prosecutions in Ohio’s largest counties.