Efting & Godfrey, LLP - Sunnyvale, California

Janice R. M.

Hi,

I have asked ProPublica to investigate the attorney, James Efting, and the trustee, Richard Lambie, of the $6.5 million trust that my father left me and my brothers and sisters.

It has been almost 3 years since my father passed, and I haven't received a dime of the principle.

They have charged over $400,000 in administration fees, but have only itemized 1/3 of them.

They are pursuing frivolous lawsuits in order to continue to bill the trust.

My portion of the trust is about $750,000. I am in a very difficult financial position ( I have spent an enormous amount of money helping a family member that has had health problems for over 7 years) and I asked them to loan me $25,000 from my portion. They said they won't do it. I consulted an attorney regarding this and he told me that it not only CAN be done but it is OFTEN done.

They will not provide bank statements showing that the money is actually in the trust account.

They said that it doesn't matter if ALL beneficiaries agree to dissolve the trust. They won't do it.

There are very questionable expenses on the year end accountings.

Anytime I ask them any question regarding the trust, tell me that they can't answer it and for me to get a lawyer.

One of James's colleagues, Michael Desmarais, called me a "malicious fruitcake" when I continued to try to get answers to these questions.

I have created a picket sign, and I will be out in front of James's office at some point to let other people know about this situation so that they might reconsider their association with James Efting and Richard Lambie.

Please, stear clear of them.

Chris W.

Marcus Godfrey has been our estate attorney and trusted advisor for the last six years. He’s thorough, thoughtful, and takes the time to build trust with his clients. He has advised us on our trust, will, advanced medical directives, and power of attorney documents. I’ve strongly recommended his services to multiple members of my extended family and friends and would not hesitate to do the same again. I can’t speak strongly enough about the peace of mind that he has brought our family over the years.

Donna L.

After working with Marcus Godfrey for four years, handling the estates of two relatives, I enthusiastically give him my highest recommendation. The SHORT REVIEW: Marcus is very professional, knowledgeable, and technically precise. Even more importantly, he is ethical and trustworthy. Marcus is responsive and has a quick turn-around time in fulfilling tasks such as drawing up legal documents and conducting filings. Marcus is calm, which is so important in the handling of estates, and a good listener.

The LONG REVIEW: My younger brother passed away suddenly and with no will or trust. We initially thought this would be a small estate matter and Marcus was kind enough to agree to help us. As assets were discovered this became a full-on probate matter, which stretched into the pandemic when the courts came to all but a grinding halt. Marcus helped us navigate through this process in such a supportive and professional manner and always responded quickly to our inquiries. About a year later, my father passed away suddenly. We worked with dad’s attorney, who we eventually had to let go. Marcus agreed to help us resolve some very sticky errors the other attorney had made. Marcus achieved in two months what the other attorney could not resolve in three years – wow! I plan to hand over my personal trust to Marcus as well. Our family is deeply grateful to Marcus and I am thrilled to be able to submit this review. If I could give him 10 stars I would!

morgan S.

Marcus provided top-notch legal service and promptly prepared our family's trust. He was straightforward and transparent about the process and timeline. I found him to be very professional, highly knowledgeable, and efficient. He and his staff were very attentive and easy to communicate with. I would definitely recommend Marcus for your estate planning needs.

Jon L.

We used Marcus Godfrey for our estate plan and also referred him to other friends and family for their plans as well. Despite all being in different situations with different needs, we've had incredibly positive experiences with Marcus. He was able to translate difficult concepts into something that my wife and I could understand, and I especially appreciated his push for simplicity. We've had estate lawyers in the past recommend complex (and expensive) approaches, whereas Marcus provided a range of options and recommended simplicity. We left with a clean, straightforward plan based on what we wanted that will grow with our family. Also a genuinely nice guy. Would recommend.

Emily E.

Marcus Godfrey recently provided legal services for me while I navigated a messy estate following the unexpected death of my father. His services were speedy and he took care of all legal aspects of my probate case. Most importantly, he was professional and supportive during a difficult time. I would highly recommend Marcus at Efting, Godfrey & Tran, LLP for your estate needs.

Jose G.

My wife and I did our entire estate planning with Marcus at EGT. Marcus walked us through the entire process and was both friendly and professional. Every time we had a question or something we weren't completely sure about, he was very responsive and was able to lay out our options clearly. We are very happy with the quality of services, the speed at which we were able to get our plan in place, and the peace of mind of having this done and knowing we can reach out to Marcus if we have questions or if anything happens.

Glory A.

Efting, Godfrey, & Tran, LLP helped my husband and I set up our Family Trust. We did not know much about the process or what was required going into it but we were so pleased by the service provided. Marcus Godfrey was professional in walking us through all the forms and answered all our questions. He was prompt in responding to calls and emails and really made the whole process efficient, transparent, and smoothe. We struggled to find a notary close to us during the pandemic so we were invited to visit the office to sign all the paperwork. The office followed all health regulations and again provided exceptional service. We have already had to revise our Trust to make some updates and that also was extremely straightforward. We are so glad we trusted Efting, Godfrey, & Tran with our family trust. We are in good hands!