Christopher D. Carico

Christopher D. Carico

Litigation - Trusts and Estates

5.0 (1 reviews)
El Segundo, California
37+ years experience
Carico Macdonald Kil & Benz LLP
Updated:

Contact Information

841 Apollo Street, Suite 450, El Segundo, CA 90245
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Bio

Christopher D. Carico is a board certified specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law with over 30 years of legal experience. His practice includes all facets of trusts and estates, and he represents families, individuals, professional trustees, conservators, guardians, and beneficiaries.Mr. Carico is one of a handful of California attorneys with expertise in both the estate tax planning and litigation components of trust and estate law. Because of this dual expertise, Mr. Carico is able to design estate planning instruments that can stand up to the closest scrutiny and challenge others’ instruments from the ground level up.Mr. Carico divides his time between: (1) representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries in dispute resolution, will contests, trusts contests, contested conservatorship, Marvin claims, financial elder abuse actions, challenged accountings, fiduciary surcharge and removal actions, property characterization disputes, and 850 petitions; and (2) counseling clients on advanced estate planning techniques including family limited partnership, family limited liability companies, designated beneficiary trusts, grantor retained annuity and unitrusts, qualified personal residence trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable foundations, self-cancelling installment notes, and life insurance trusts.Mr. Carico has frequently served as a court-appointed expert to provide his opinions and recommendations to the probate court in the following types of actions: trust reformation proceedings, fiduciary accountings, actions for breach of fiduciary duty, actions for fiduciary suspension and removal, fee petitions, and compromise of creditors’ claims.Committed to helping individuals resolve trust and estate disputes as quickly and efficiently as possible, Mr. Carico consistently volunteers time as a mediator on the various Court-sponsored pro bono probate mediation panels, and is currently acting as a volunteer Probate Settlement Officer on Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Probate Settlement Conference Panel. Mr. Carico also serves on the Executive Committee for the Trust and Estate Section of the State Bar of California.Mr. Carico graduated with a J.D. cum laude, from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He obtained his B.A in economics from Occidental College.His previous affiliations include Carico Johnson Toomey LLP (2008-2017), Carico Toomey & Associates LLP (2007-2008), Davis & Carico LLP (1996 – 2007), Law Offices of Christopher D. Carico (1990 – 1996), and Mullen & Henzell (1989 – 1990). Mr. Carico is one of a handful of California attorneys with expertise in both the estate tax planning and litigation components of trust and estate law. Because of this dual expertise, Mr. Carico is able to design estate planning instruments that can stand up to the closest scrutiny and challenge others’ instruments from the ground level up. Mr. Carico divides his time between: (1) representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries in dispute resolution, will contests, trusts contests, contested conservatorship, Marvin claims, financial elder abuse actions, challenged accountings, fiduciary surcharge and removal actions, property characterization disputes, and 850 petitions; and (2) counseling clients on advanced estate planning techniques including family limited partnership, family limited liability companies, designated beneficiary trusts, grantor retained annuity and unitrusts, qualified personal residence trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable foundations, self-cancelling installment notes, and life insurance trusts. Mr. Carico has frequently served as a court-appointed expert to provide his opinions and recommendations to the probate court in the following types of actions: trust reformation proceedings, fiduciary accountings, actions for breach of fiduciary duty, actions for fiduciary suspension and removal, fee petitions, and compromise of creditors’ claims. Committed to helping individuals resolve trust and estate disputes as quickly and efficiently as possible, Mr. Carico consistently volunteers time as a mediator on the various Court-sponsored pro bono probate mediation panels, and is currently acting as a volunteer Probate Settlement Officer on Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Probate Settlement Conference Panel. Mr. Carico also serves on the Executive Committee for the Trust and Estate Section of the State Bar of California.Mr. Carico graduated with a J.D. cum laude, from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He obtained his B.A in economics from Occidental College. His previous affiliations include Carico Johnson Toomey LLP (2008-2017), Carico Toomey & Associates LLP (2007-2008), Davis & Carico LLP (1996 – 2007), Law Offices of Christopher D. Carico (1990 – 1996), and Mullen & Henzell (1989 – 1990).

Local Legal Snapshot

Jurisdiction

California

State Capital

Sacramento

Highest Court

California Supreme Court

Bar Association

State Bar of California

Typical Consultation

$150-$300

Typical Hourly Range

$225-$425/hr

Fee Model Notes

Estate planning often uses flat-fee packages, while probate disputes tend to be hourly.

Estimates vary by market, complexity, urgency, and attorney experience.

Practice Areas

Litigation - Trusts and Estates

Awards & Recognition

  • Recognized: Litigation - Trusts and Estates
  • Recognized: Trusts and Estates
  • Practice Area: Family Law
  • Practice Area: Litigation and Controversy - Tax
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Trusts & Estates 2010-2025
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation – Trusts & Estates, 2011-2025 ®
  • Southern California Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate, 2009-2025
  • Martindale Hubbell Rating: AV; www.martindale.com
  • California State Bar, Board of Legal Specialization, certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law; www.ls.calbar.ca.gov
  • Member, Trusts & Estates Executive Committee, California State Bar

Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2011

Education

  • Loyola Marymount University, J.D., graduated 1988
  • Occidental College, B.A.

Reviews

S

Sandra Richardson

3 months ago

Expert Guidance Through a Complex Family Trust Dispute

After my father's passing, my siblings and I found ourselves entangled in a contentious dispute over the interpretation of a family trust. The situation was emotionally charged and legally complex. We engaged Christopher Carico based on his board certification in estate planning and trust law, a credential that immediately signaled deep expertise. Over his 37-year career, Mr. Carico has clearly mastered every facet of trusts and estates. He approached our case with a calm, methodical professionalism that was invaluable. He meticulously analyzed the trust documents and California probate code, explaining our positions and options with remarkable clarity, never resorting to legal jargon. His recognition in the field of Trusts and Estates is well-earned. Mr. Carico skillfully navigated negotiations, avoiding costly litigation, and helped us reach a settlement that honored my father's intentions and preserved family relationships. His counsel from the El Segundo office of Carico Macdonald Kil & Benz was not only legally astute but also personally sensitive to the stress we were under. I cannot recommend him highly enough for anyone facing similar estate or probate challenges.

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