Howard Wiggins retired in 2013 and I (Jason Ebert) took over the firm. Prior to that, Howard practiced almost exclusively in the area of estate planning for nearly 50 years. During this time, he became very familiar with the issues facing families dealing with the loss of a loved one. He was a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and had an AV peer review rating from Martindale Hubbell which shows what his peers thought of his abilities.
Following his retirement, Howard spent his time clearing trails and focusing on church, music and family. I kept in touch with him and always enjoyed seeing him during this time until he passed away on August 24, 2022.
If you find working with Wiggins & Ebert, APC to be remotely enjoyable (even given the somewhat heavy nature of this area of the law), then you can attribute that to Howard's coaching. When I came out of law school in 2004 looking for a job, I didn't know the first thing about how to practically manage a Trusts and Estates practice. With no personal contacts in the area, I personally handed out resumes to every AV rated estate planning attorney and estate planning firm in town. Howard Wiggins was the last person on the list...and the only one who called me back. I attribute all of my success in this area to Howard's patient training and willingness to take a chance on an untested kid.
Going forward, the firm will always bear Howard's name in his memory. I didn't build Wiggins & Ebert, APC, I'm just running it now.
