Sophisticated strategies for complex disputes

Fiduciary Litigation

who we serve

Advocacy for families, fiduciaries, and beneficiaries

Disputes involving estates, trusts, and fiduciary duties are rarely just about assets—they’re about people, legacy, and the complex dynamics that emerge when emotions and legal obligations intersect. Rubin Rudman brings clarity, strategy, compassion and results to the most contentious and sensitive fiduciary disputes throughout Massachusetts.

Our fiduciary litigation team operates at the intersection of law, family dynamics, and wealth preservation. We represent beneficiaries, trustees, personal representatives (i.e. executors), guardians, conservators, agents under a power of attorney or health care proxy, and family members when things go wrong, or when the stakes are simply too high to go unchallenged. From high value will contests and trust disputes to contested guardianships/conservatorships and claims of undue influence or fiduciary misconduct, we step into complicated, emotionally charged situations to guide clients with strategic focus and sophisticated technical skills. Clients rely on us to navigate high-stakes disputes through negotiation and mediation when possible—or to litigate with conviction when it’s not. In both environments, we lead with empathy, intelligence, and a sharp understanding of the law.

We are known for resolving cases that others consider intractable. Our attorneys are consulted for the “unresolvable” fiduciary matters—those entangled with family tension, complicated trust structures, cognitive decline, or suspected financial exploitation. Our team is laser focused on protecting the most vulnerable individuals who need protection. We often serve as court-appointed special masters, trustees, personal representatives, guardians ad litem, guardians, and conservators, and are trusted by Probate Court judges and other attorneys to handle sensitive matters with discretion and authority. Families and attorneys turn to us for private nomination as Trustee in our concierge Trustee practice, as a private adjudicator and for our dispute resolution capabilities, and as an expert witness in a wide range of contested trust and estate matters.

Guardianship and conservatorship disputes require a particularly nuanced approach, and few firms match our experience in this area. We work closely with psychiatrists, social workers, geriatric care managers, and other multidisciplinary professionals to craft strategies that protect individuals susceptible to exploitation or influence while honoring complex family dynamics. Our team has experience working with a range of individuals in need of protection, from young adults with mental health challenges to elders suffering from dementia. Whether we are supporting a client’s petition to become a guardian, contesting an inappropriate appointment, or acting as guardian ourselves, our focus is always on securing outcomes that serve the best interests of those involved.

Our lawyers are recognized leaders in fiduciary litigation, often tapped to serve as expert witnesses, special master for the judiciary, or appointed to high-profile matters involving financial exploitation, inheritance disputes, and elder abuse.

We bring particular strength in cases involving diminished or fluctuating capacity, where questions of undue influence or suspicious transfers require both legal precision and human insight. And because many of these cases involve significant wealth, we are skilled at navigating the broader implications of disputes—protecting not only the client’s legal rights, but their family relationships, reputations, and long-term goals.