SHERMAN OAKS, CA – Probate court and DMV hearings are two of the most stressful legal situations a person can face, and having an attorney with deep courtroom experience can make a critical difference. Rodney Gould, who leads the Law Office of Rodney Gould in Sherman Oaks, has spent more than three decades handling these exact types of cases, and his background sets him apart from lawyers who only handle paperwork.
Gould has been practicing law since 1991. He began his career as a civil prosecutor for the United States Postal Service, working mail fraud cases in Washington, D.C., and later served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia with the Department of Justice. He then moved into private practice, representing major national companies including Starbucks, MCI, USAA, and Bank of America. This combination of government litigation and corporate defense shapes his approach to probate and administrative cases today.
Probate disputes rarely stay simple. Heirs disagree, wills get challenged, and administration drags on when documents are unclear or contested. Gould has handled numerous probate cases in Superior Courts across California and has argued appeals in several districts of the California Courts of Appeal. That litigation background matters when a probate matter turns contentious, because Gould has stood in front of a judge defending an estate plan, not just drafted one and hoped it holds up. His probate work covers trust administration, affidavits of heirship, and determination of heirship cases, along with the broader estate planning documents, including wills and trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives, that often become the subject of probate disputes when they are poorly drafted or contested.
Outside of probate court, the firm also represents clients at DMV hearings, an area of law that gets little attention but can carry serious consequences for a person's ability to drive, work, or maintain independence. These hearings involve their own procedures and deadlines, and having an attorney who understands how to present a case to a state agency can change the outcome. Gould's litigation experience, built across federal and state courtrooms, carries directly into how he prepares clients for these proceedings.
Gould grew up in Michigan and earned his bachelor's degree from Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, before completing his law degree at the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana. He now runs his practice out of Sherman Oaks, serving clients throughout the Los Angeles area.
Gould also stays active in the community, serving on the boards of organizations including AIDS Project Los Angeles, Project Angel Food, his alma mater Eureka College, the National City Christian Church Foundation, the Disciples Seminary Foundation, and Christian Church Homes of Northern California. He is also connected to First Christian Church of North Hollywood.
A contested probate case or an unexpected DMV hearing can upend a family's finances and daily life fast. Having an attorney who has litigated these exact issues, rather than one who only handles the paperwork side, gives families a real advocate when things get complicated. Gould's decades in courtrooms across the country back up the guidance he gives clients facing these situations.
For families in Los Angeles dealing with a probate dispute, a DMV hearing, or related estate planning and elder law matters, the Law Office of Rodney Gould offers a free consultation to talk through the details of a case.
