Attention Attorneys, Paralegals and LDAs
PROBATE: New Laws in 2025
touching on Guardianship, Conservatorship,
Power of Attorney, Probate, and Trust
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Featured Speaker:
HELEN M. BELLAMY, JD, LDA
Learn about the 2025 legislation affecting the Probate Courts:
Impact of child custody proceedings (AB 81)
Use of likeness of deceased personalities (AB 1836)
Kasem-Nichols-Rooney Law (SB 1106)
Digital asset access (SB 1458)
Trust termination (SB 1127)
Succession petitions (AB 2016)
Learn how these new laws reshape guardianships, conservatorships, powers of attorney, probate, and trust administration.
Stay ahead in the field with this must-attend overview!
Earn 1.0 hour MCLE credit*
Log in information will be provided upon registration
Helen M. Bellamy, JD, LDA
“I come up hard.., but now I'm cool, I didn't make it...playin' by the rules…There’s only three things for sure…taxes, death, and trouble..” (Theme From Trouble Man, Marvin Gaye). Helen M. Bellamy now provides services in each of these three areas.
Helen is a dynamic force—a businesswoman, Legal Document Assistant, Tax Preparer, Teacher, and newly licensed Professional Fiduciary with over 50 years of hands-on business experience. As the dedicated steward of the Judicial Self-Help Center in Hayward, CA, Helen has been on a mission since 1991 to provide the public with accessible legal services, helping countless families navigate the legal system with clarity and confidence.
Helen’s impressive educational background, including a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Paralegal Certificate from California State University, Hayward, a law degree from John F. Kennedy University School of Law, and a Certificate in Professional Fiduciary Management for Trustees from California State University, Fullerton, underscores her dedication to lifelong learning. This commitment is the cornerstone of her professional success.
For Helen, CALDA and Legal access is more than a passion; it’s personal. Having faced the high costs of hiring an attorney herself, she turned her love for learning into a powerful tool, mastering the intricacies of law. This journey, from a legal secretary to an independent paralegal, then an LDA, then a tax preparer, and now a licensed professional fiduciary, is a powerful transformation of personal struggle into empowerment for others.
Helen has served as a CALDA Board Member and has achieved lifetime member status. As a member of the California Association of Independent Paralegals (CAIP), now known as CALDA Helen served as Board Member, President-Elect, President, and delegate to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).
Helen's commitment to sharing knowledge is not just a part of her professional life; it's a personal mission. Her unwavering dedication to helping others understand and apply the law has inspired countless individuals to learn and take control of their legal situations. Through years of teaching classes on Divorce, Stepparent and Adult Adoption, Probate, Guardianship, and Conservatorship at CALDA conferences, chapter meetings, law offices, and even a Financial Planners’ workshop, Helen has been a beacon of inspiration to the legal access movement.
In every aspect of her work, Helen blends the theoretical with the practical. Her firm belief that the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) is an artificial construct designed to uphold the status quo reflects her commitment to breaking down barriers. As she often says, "The status quo won’t concede power without pressure," and she lives that truth every day by advocating for legal consumers’ rights under the First Amendment. Helping others exercise their right to "petition the Government for redress of grievances" is, to Helen, at the heart of the struggle between those in power and the people.
As a newly licensed Professional Fiduciary, Helen is stepping into an exciting new chapter. Drawing on decades of experience, she is now also the steward of Professional Fiduciary East Bay, where she provides crucial assistance to families in need, acting as a neutral party in roles like trustee, personal representative, or conservator of an estate. Helen is laser-focused on guiding families through complex legal processes, always with a clear mission: to provide support, clarity, and compassion at every step.
Helen’s professional life is only a part of who she is. Helen is also a disciple of Jesus Christ, a wife, mother, sister, aunt, neighbor, and friend. As she looks toward the future, Helen remains committed to making a lasting impact for the cause of legal access and equality of the legal consumer. The best is yet to come, and the journey continues!
*MCLE certificates will be emailed to attendees whose FIRST AND LAST NAME appear on the Zoom report, verifying attendance for a minimum acceptable time. Please allow 2 business days for receipt of your certificate.