Virginia Palmer

  • Experience

    Ms. Palmer is a partner and chair of the Estates & Trusts Practice Group. She focuses her practice on estate planning, probate, trust administration, and elder law including conservatorships. Ms. Palmer has particular expertise in estate planning for both traditional and non-traditional families, representation of individual and professional fiduciaries in the administration of living trusts, conservatorships of the person and estate and decedents' estates. She also advises clients on advance health care directives and end-of-life decisions.

    Ms. Palmer serves as a Pro Tem Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court Probate Department and is a court-appointed guardian ad litem for minor children and incapacitated adults. She is a former Certified Family Law specialist and mediates matters in her areas of expertise. Ms. Palmer is a frequent lecturer and panelist on estate planning-related issues, including estate planning for domestic partnerships, durable powers of attorney, estate planning in the context of dissolutions, and end-of-life decisions.

  • Education

    J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law, 1980
    B.A., California State University at San Francisco, 1975

  • Admissions

    State Bar of California; United States District Court (Northern and Central Districts of California)

  • Affiliations

    Alameda County Bar Association:
    Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate Section, Executive Committee, 2002-2007
    Board of Directors, 1991-1992

    Alameda County Superior Court ADR Administration Committee, Member

    AIDS Legal Referral Panel, 1982 to present

    American College of Trust and Estate Council, Member

    East Bay Trust and Estate Lawyers

    Legal Assistance for Seniors, Alameda County, Former Director, Board of Directors, 1999-2005

    National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Member

    New Directions, Vice President, Board of DirectorsAmerican College of Trust and Estate Council, Member

  • Speaking & Teaching Experience

    Presenter, "Family/Credit Shelter Trusts: Additional Reasons to Consider Retaining Assets in Trust," Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council, Pleasanton, California, November 5, 2011

    Presenter, "Representing LGBT Clients: Not For The Faint Of Heart," 31st Annual Southern California Tax & Estate Planning Forum, San Diego, California, October 26, 2011

    Presenter, "Recent Developments In Same-Sex Marriage," East Bay Estate Planning Council, Oakland, California, October 10, 2011

    Presenter, "Estate Planning for the Future: It Is Never Too Late," San Francisco, California, Peralta College Foundation, October 6, 2011

    Co-Panelist, “Representing Blended Families,” East Bay Community Foundation, Oakland, California, June 8, 2011

    Co-Panelist, "The End as You Know It -- Death or Retirement," American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys, 35th Annual Symposium, Sonoma, California, May 13, 2011

    Co-Presenter, "Undue Influence and Incapacity: Ethical Dilemmas and Issues in Representing the Elderly," Elder Financial Protection Network, 8th Annual National Summit, San Francisco, California, March 31, 2011

    Co-Presenter, "The Power of Gift Planning: How to Leave YOUR Legacy," LGBT Community Center, San Francisco, California, February 22, 2011

    Presenter, "Approaching Bias: Issues in Representing LGBT Clients in Estate Planning," Southern California Estate and Tax Forum, San Diego, California, October, 2010

    Co-Presenter, "Crossover Issues in Estate Planning," Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco, California, July 23, 2010

    Lecturer, "Issues in Representing the LGBT Community," California State Bar Estate and Gift Tax Committee Conference, San Francisco, California, March 5, 2010

    Keynote Speaker, "Ethics, Morality and the Law," Professional Fiduciary Association of California Fall Conference, Santa Rosa, California, November 6, 2009

    Lecturer, "What Now? LGBT Trust and Estate Planning Issues in the Wake of California Supreme Court's Decision in Strauss v. Horton Upholding Proposition 8," East Bay Estate Planning Council, November 9, 2009

    Co-Panelist, "Utilizing Estate Planning to Identify and Deter Elder Abuse," Fourth Annual Elder Abuse Conference, May 5-6, 2008, Oakland, California

    Panelist, "Hot Topics in Elder Law," The Rutter Group, October 24, 2007, Los Angeles, California

    Panelist, "Hot Topics in Elder Law," The Rutter Group, October 22, 2007, San Francisco, California

    Co-presenter "Estate Planning for Non-Traditional Families," The Clorox Company, September 25, 2007, Oakland, California

    Co-presenter "Estate Planning for Unmarried Partners," Sonoma County CPA Society, Santa Rosa, California September 11, 2007

    Presenter," Ethical Issues in Representing Members of the LGBT Community in Estate Planning Matters," UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute Los Angeles, California, May 18, 2007

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning and Elder Law," University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California March 24, 2007

    Co-panelist, "Community Property Trusts for Registered Domestic Partners," Alameda County Bar Estate Planning Committee, Oakland, California March 14, 2007.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning Essentials," University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California February 15, 2007.

    Co-panelist, "Estate Planning for Unmarried Persons," Horizon's Foundation, Walnut Creek, California May 11, 2006.

    Lecturer, "Conservatorships and California's Domestic Partnership Laws," Department of Aging, Sacramento, California March 20, 2006.

    Panelist, "Multi Disciplinary Approach to Elder Law," Financial Planning Association, East Bay Chapter, Alamo, California, November 2, 2005.

    Lecturer, "When Estate Planning and Divorce Collide," Northern Trust and Stanislaus County Estate Planning Council Fall Seminar, Modesto, California, October 20, 2005.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning for Registered Domestic Partners," Santa Clara County Bar Association, San Jose, California, October 19, 2005.

    Lecturer, "Family Law Basics for the Estate Planning Attorney," Alameda County Bar Association, Estates & Trusts Section, September 14, 2005.

    Panelist, "Estate Planning Issues for Registered Domestic Partners," University of California 27th Annual Estate Planning Institute, Los Angeles, California, May 2005.

    Panelist, California Judicial Council, "AB 205," San Diego, California, April 13, 2005.

    Lecturer, San Francisco Bar Association, Estates & Trusts Section, Premarital Agreements and Basics of Family Law for Estate Planners, April 6, 2005, San Francisco, California

    Faculty, "Advanced Health Care Directives and End of Life Decisions," California State University, Fullerton, March 13, 2005.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning Under the New Domestic Partnership Law," Estate Planning Counsel of Sacramento, February 24, 2005.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning Under the New Domestic Partnership Law," Estate Planning Counsel of Diablo Valley, Lafayette, California, February 16, 2005

    Faculty, "Trusts and Trusteeships," California State University, Fullerton, February 13, 2005.

    Lecturer, "California's New Domestic Partnership Laws: AB 205 & 2580," San Francisco Chapter of the California Certified Public Accountant Society, San Francisco, California, January 20, 2005.

    Panelist "Estate Planning," Bay Isle Financial Planning, Oakland, California, November 29, 2004.

    Panelist and moderator, "Practice Under California's New Domestic Partnership Law," Los Angeles, California, November 13, 2004.

    Lecturer "Estate Planning Under the New Domestic Partnership Law, Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council," Pleasanton, California, November 11, 2004.

    Lecturer, "AB 205," Smith Barney, San Francisco, California, November 9, 2004.

    Panelist and moderator, "Practice Under California's New Domestic Partnership Law," Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco, California, October 23, 2004.

    Panelist, "AB 205: California Domestic Partnership Law," Northern California Human Resources Association, Berkeley, California, October 21, 2004.

    Faculty, "Advance Health Care Directives and End of Life Decisions," California State University Fullerton Extension, Oakland, California, October 20, 2004.

    Lecturer, "AB 205," Bay Isle Financial Group, Oakland, California, October 14, 2004.

    Lecturer "AB205: Estate Planning Issues," East Bay Estate Planning Counsel, Oakland, California, October 11, 2004.

    Panelist, "Domestic Partner Banking," California Bankers Association 26th Annual Regulatory Compliance Conference, San Diego, California, October 6, 2004.

    Lecturer, "AB 205: The New Domestic Partnership Law," Mechanics Bank Symposium, Oakland, California, June 9, 2004.

    Panelist, "AB 205: California's New Domestic Partnership Law," Mechanics Bank Symposium, Oakland, California, June 9, 2004.

    Faculty, "Advance Health Care Directives and End of Life Decisions," California State University Fullerton Extension, San Francisco, California, February 29, 2004 and June 5, 2004.

    Faculty, "Advance Health Care Directives and End of Life Decisions," California State University Fullerton Extension, San Francisco, California, February 29, 2004 and June 5, 2004.

    Faculty "Advanced Health Care Directives and End of Life Decisions," California State University Fullerton Extension, Professional Fiduciary's Program, Sacramento, California, October, 2003.

    Lecturer "New Domestic Partnership Laws," Berkeley-Albany Bar Association, Berkeley, California, October 2003.

    Lecturer, "Prudent Fiduciary Practices: Counseling the Non-Professional Fiduciary," San Francisco Bar Association, Barristers' Club, San Francisco, California, October 2003.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning for Domestic Partners," Alameda County Bar Association, Estates & Trust Committee,

    Oakland, California, May, 2003.

    Lecturer "Domestic Partnerships and Estate Planning," American Express Financial Advisors, Walnut Creek, California, May 2003.

    Lecturer "Domestic Partnerships and Estate Planning," American Express Financial Advisors, Walnut Creek, California, April 2003.

    Keynote Speaker, "Recent Changes in the Law" Professional Fiduciaries Association of California, San Francisco-Bay Area District, March 2003.

    Faculty, "Advance Health Care Directives and Durable Powers of Attorney for Personal Care," University of California, Fullerton, Certification Program for Professional Fiduciaries, San Francisco Agency on Aging, San Francisco, California, February, 2003.

    Moderator and Panelist “Counseling Unmarried Partners: An Advanced Course of Study in Estate Planning, Real Estate and Family Law,” Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco, California, November, 2002 and Los Angeles, California, December, 2002.

    Panelist “Family Law Issues in Estate Planning,” Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco, California, January 2002.

    Panelist “Estate Planning in the Context of a Dissolution,” California CPA Educational Foundation, Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, November 2001.

    Lecturer “Representing Unmarried Partners,” Tri-Valley Professional Association, August 2001.

    Moderator and Panelist “Counseling Unmarried Partners: Adoption, Custody, Estate Planning, Personal and Real Property Agreements and Dissolution Issues,” Continuing Education of the Bar, Beverly Hills, San Diego and San Francisco, California, January, 2001.

    Lecturer, “Amended Durable Powers of Attorney Laws,” East Bay Women’s Forum, Sponsored by Mechanics Bank, Oakland, California, March 14, 2000.

    Moderator and Panelist, “Representing Unmarried Partners,” Continuing Education of the Bar, Sacramento and San Francisco, California, February 2000.

    Panelist, “Estate Planning” and “Living Trusts,” University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, Fall 1999.

    Moderator and Lecturer, “Estate Planning in the Context of Divorce,” Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco and Sacramento, California January 1999.

    Lecturer, “Estate Planning in the Context of Divorce,” Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco and Palo Alto, California September, 1998.

    Lecturer, “Guardianship and HIV Disease,” AIDS Legal Referral Panel, Oakland, California, and December 1996.

    Lecturer, “Characterizing Trust Assets as Separate or Community Property,” Alameda County Bar Association Trust Committee, Oakland, California, November 1996.

    Panelist, “Estate Planning,” Barristers Club, San Francisco Bar Association, San Francisco, California, September, 1996.

    Lecturer, “Guardianships and HIV Disease,” AIDS Legal Referral Panel Oakland, California, July 1996.

    Panelist, “Non-Traditional Estate Planning,” 1996 Statewide Women in Law Conference, Santa Monica, California, May 5, 1996.

    Panelist, "Non-Traditional & Traditional Estate Planning," San Francisco Barristers Club, San Francisco, California, May 10, 1995.

    Lecturer, "Practice Under The New Durable Power of Attorney Law," Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Oakland, California, April, 1995.

    Lecturer, "Representing a Client with AIDS: Guardianship Issues," National Institute AIDS and the Law/ABA AIDS Coordination Project, June 23, 1994.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning," Merrill Lynch, January 1994, April 1994, October 1995, January 1995, February 1995.

    Moderator, "Elder Law Practice: Addressing the Needs of The Older Client," Continuing Education of the Bar, June 1 and 3, 1993 and June 15 and 17, 1993.

    Lecturer, "A Practical Guide To Estate Administration in California," National Business Institute, June 8, 1993.

    Lecturer, "HIV Dementia: The Challenge of Caregiving, Legal and Financial Issues and Options," Family Survival Project and UCSF AIDS Care Study, October 1, 1992.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning for Terminally Ill Clients," AIDS Legal Referral Panel, 1993.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning," American Society on Aging June 22, 1992.

    Lecturer, "Durable Powers of Attorney," Berkeley League of Women Voters, February 7, 1992.

    Guest speaker, Legal Currents, Channel 60, "Grandparents as Guardians," May 21, 1991.

    Panelist, "Suicide: The Right To Die With Dignity," AIDS Legal Referral Panel, March 21, 1991.

    Lecturer, "Planning for Incapacity," California, Continuing Education of the Bar, November, 1990.

    Lecturer, “Durable Powers of Attorney: Attorney Dilemmas,” Trust Services of America March 1990.

    Lecturer, California Continuing Education of the Bar "Durable Powers of Attorney," February and March 1990, California Continuing Education of the Bar San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, California.

    Lecturer, "Drafting Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney," Bar Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, California 1987, 1988, and 1989.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning for Persons With AIDS," 1989, National Conference on AIDS, November 1989.

    Lecturer, "Planning for Incapacity," California Continuing Education of the Bar, October 1989.

    Lecturer, "Partner Protection," 20th Annual Conference of Women and the Law, April 1, 1989.

    Lecturer, "Estate Planning For Persons With AIDS," Lavender Law Conference, November 11-13, 1988.

    Lecturer, "Planning for Incapacity,” National Lawyers Guild, September 23, 1988.

    Panelist, "Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care, and Legal Aspects of Life Support Systems for Persons with AIDS," University of California at San Francisco, AIDS Professional Education Project, San Francisco, California, July 15 and 16, 1988.

    Lecturer, "Preliminary Considerations for Estate Planning: Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health care, Powers of Attorney, and Directives to Physicians," Vanguard Public Foundation, June 11, 1988.

    Panelist, "Legal and Medical Implications of Working with Persons with AIDS," California Association of Superior Court Investigators Annual Convention, Los Gatos, California, May 19, 1988.

    Panelist, "Changes in Probate Law 1988," Bay Area Legal Secretaries Forum, 1988.

    Lecturer, "Alternatives to Probate," sponsored by the Bar Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, California 1988.

    Lecturer, “Drafting Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney,” Bar Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 1987, 1988, and 1989.

  • Honors & Awards

    Northern California Super Lawyers, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Contact Information

Virginia Palmer Partner vpalmer@fablaw.com

  • Phone: (510) 451-3300
  • Fax: (510) 451-1527
  • Office: 1221 Broadway
    21st Floor
    Oakland, CA 94612
    Driving Directions »

Related Practices