Sheri Sudweeks

Sheri Sudweeks’ interest in elder law began in childhood where she grew up in a multi-generational household. She gained firsthand knowledge of the often changing needs and considerations of people as they age. Since her first day of practice as an attorney, she has worked exclusively in elder and special needs law. Her focus areas of law at Sugai & Sudweeks include limited conservatorships, guardianships, fiduciary representation, special needs planning, trust reformation and modification, and estate planning.
Ms. Sudweeks has been recognized by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Specialist for Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Lawyers. Ms. Sudweeks is a panel attorney for the Santa Clara County Superior Court for conservatorship appointments and also volunteers as a pro tem. She served on the Board of Trustees for Senior Adult Legal Assistance (SALA) for ten years.  She is an active member of the Silicon Valley Bar Association (where she previously served on the Board of Trustees for many years), West Valley Bar Association, Santa Cruz County Estate Planning Council, J. Rueben Clark Bar Association, California Bar Association, and the Academy of Special Needs Planners.
Ms. Sudweeks is a former professor of law for Lincoln Law School and a guest lecturer on elder law and special needs issues, both locally and nationally. She is a frequent speaker at community organizations, special needs groups and elder law conferences.  She has appeared on local television news series and radio programs on elder and special needs issues. Ms. Sudweeks is currently serving on the 3rd party special needs trust drafting committee of the Academy of Special Needs Planners. She is a contributing author to Continuing Education of the Bar’s (CEB) California Guardianship Practice and a speaker for CEB seminars.

Practice Areas:

  • Estate Planning
  • Special Needs Trusts
  • Special Needs Trust Administration
  • Conservatorships
  • Guardianships
  • Court Reformation and Modification of Trusts
  • Representing Professional Fiduciaries

Bar Admissions:

  • State Bar of California

Certification:

  • Certified Specialist Estate Planning Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

Education:

  • Lincoln Law School of San Jose, JD- 2001
  • Undergraduate degrees in Electronics Engineering, Education and English.

Associations:

  • Silicon Valley Bar Association
  • Santa Cruz County Estate Planning Council
  • Academy of Special Needs Planners
  • West Valley Bar Association

Speaking Engagements:

  • Trust Protectors and Other Trust Superpowers, Santa Cruz County Estate Planning Council, January 2019, Santa Cruz, CA.
  • Estate Planning, Community Workshop, September 2018, Cupertino, CA.
  • Medical Powers in Conservatorships, PFAC, July 2018, Saratoga, CA.
  • Estate and Incapacity Planning, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), August 2017, Webinar.
  • Trust Protectors and Other Trust Superpowers, San Mateo County Bar Association, July 2017, San Mateo, CA.
  • Conservatorships, The Other Powers You May Need, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, June 2017, Burlingame, CA.
  • To SNT or Not SNT, Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council, March 2017, Santa Clara, CA.
  • To SNT or Not SNT, Santa Cruz County Estate Planning Council, November 2016, Santa Cruz, CA.
  • Trust Protectors, Silicon Valley Bar Association, October 2016, San Jose, CA.
  • Estate Planning, Community Workshop, August 2016, Santa Cruz, CA.
  • Pet Trusts, Silicon Valley Bar Association, New Attorney Round-table, August  2016, Los Gatos, CA
  • Conservatoships, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, June 2016, Indian Wells, CA.
  • To SNT or Not SNT, Silicon Valley Bar Association, March 2016, San Jose, CA.
  • Estate and Incapacity Planning, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), August 2015, Webinar.
  • Special Needs Trusts, County of Santa Clara’s Office of the Public Guardian’s Regional Conference, June 2015, San Jose, CA.
  • Health Care Decisions, Silicon Valley Bar Association New Attorney Roundtable, May 2015, Los Gatos, CA
  • Public Benefits, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, April 2015, Burlingame, CA
  • Avoiding Mistakes in the Administration of Special Needs Trusts, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, April 2015, Burlingame, CA
  • Trust Management, Santa Clara County Office of the Public Guardian, May 2014, San Jose, CA
  • Advanced Risk Management, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, April 2014, San Diego, CA
  • Basic Legal Documents to Help Protect You and Your Finances, Blossom Valley Community Workshop Series,  April 2014, San Jose, CA
  • Estate Planning, Blossom Valley Community Workshop Series, March 2014, San Jose, CA
  • Estate Planning Intensive Course, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), October 2013, San Francisco, CA
  • Risk Management, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, April 2013, Monterey, CA
  • The Anatomy of Drafting Special Needs Trusts, Academy of Special Needs Planners Annual Conference, March 2013, Austin, TX
  • The ABC’s of SNTs, Santa Cruz County Estate Planning Council, January 2013, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Elder Abuse Mock Trial, Silicon Valley Bar Association, October 2012, Palo Alto, CA
  • The ABCs of SNTs, Silicon Valley Bar Association, June 2012, San Jose, CA
  • Legal Issues With Alzheimer’s Disease, Alzheimer Association Learning Circle, July 2012, San Jose, CA
  • ABC’s of Special Needs Trusts, May 2012, Santa Clara, CA
  • Medicare, Medi-Cal, Social Security, and VA Benefits, Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference, April 2012, Los Angeles, CA
  • Storage of Important Documents, Santa Cruz Emergency Preparation Fair, April 2012, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Veteran’ Benefits: Aid and Attendance, Vintage Silver Creek, January 2012, San Jose, CA
  • Basic Conservatorships, Professional Fiduciary Association of Northern California, December 2011, San Francisco, CA
  • 3rd Party Special Needs Trust Drafting, facilitator, Academy of Special Needs Planners, November 2011, Boston, MA
  • Conservatorships, Alzheimer’s Association, October 2011, San Jose, CA
  • Pet Trusts, Silicon Valley Bar Association, New attorney Round-table, October  2011, Los Altos, CA
  • Ten Common Trustee Mistakes in the Administration of a Special Needs Trust & How to Avoid Them, Professional Fiduciary Association of California, May 2011, Monterey, CA
  • Elder Abuse, Alain Pinel Realty, February 2011, Los Gatos, CA
  • The Big Decision: Whether or Not to Open your Own Practice, Santa Clara University School of Law, December 2010, Santa Clara, CA
  • Protective Proceedings: Conservatorships,Alzheimer’s Circle of Care Conference, October 2010 Foster City, CA
  • Seniors and the Law, Long-term Care Planning Conference; AARP & AAUW, September 2010, San Jose, CA
  • Powers of Attorney, Professional Fiduciary Association of California, October 2009, San Jose, CA
  • Death and Capacity Preparedness, San Jose District 10 Emergency Preparedness Fair, April 2009 San Jose, CA
  • Solo and Small Firm Practice, J. Ruben Clark Law Society, April 2009, San Jose, CA
  • Storage of Important Documents, Santa Cruz County Community Emergency Preparedness Fair, April 2009 Santa Cruz, CA
  • How Trusts Work, Silicon Valley Women, March 2009 San Jose, CA
  • Wills for Women, Silicon Valley Women, March 2009 San Jose, CA
  • Estate and Incapacity Planning, Next Step Seminar; Alan Pinel Realtors, April 2008 Mountain View, CA
  • Estate Planning Basics, NBI, January 2007 San Jose, CA
  • Estate Planning, Living Choices for Older Adults; Alan Pinel Realtors, March 2007 Los Altos, CA
  • Basics of Estate Planning, Senior Moments Seminar, City of Los Gatos, July 2007 Los Gatos, CA

Publications:

  • Drafting SNT’s With the Professional Trustee in Mind, The Elder Law Report, Volume XXVI, Number 8 March 2015
  • California Guardianship Practice, 2013 Update Author, Continuing Education of the Bar, California 2013

Radio/ Television Appearances:

  • Understanding the Basics of Conservatorship, CreaTV,  May 2012
  • Home Security Scams, KLIV Radio San Jose, May 2012
  • The Legal Side of Private Hiring of In-home Caregivers, KLIV Radio San Jose, April 2012
  • Home Repair/Improvement Scams, KLIV Radio San Jose, April 2012
  • Report on Current Scams Against Seniors, KLIV Radio San Jose, March 2012
  • Recycle Your Career, Employment Discrimination for the Elderly, Community TV Channel 15, June 2010 San Jose, CA

Awards:

  • San Francisco Magazine 2009- The State’s Outstanding Young Lawyers