Are you involved in a Florida trust and estates lawsuit? Has your sister been appointed the trustee of your mother’s Palm Beach trust? Is she not doing a good job as trustee? Is formal notice required under the Florida Probate Rules to seek personal liability against a Florida trustee? You may want to read a November 5th, 2014 opinion from West Palm Beach’s appeals court, Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeal.
On January 3,2017, USA Today wrote about a contract that contained a “no cheating” provision. John Scott and Tina Hemingway, a couple living in Indiana, had been dating for eight years when Scott decided to add Hemingway’s name to property that he inherited. However, before adding her name to the property, Hemingway signed a contract that stated that cheating could not occur. If Hemingway cheated on Scott, she would lose her rights to the property. A few months after the contract was signed, Hemingway cheated on Scott. In fact, she became pregnant with another man’s child! The contract was handwritten and signed. Is a condition like this one allowed in a contract? Can you include conditional clauses in Florida trusts and wills?
It is estimated that George Michael’s estate is worth $125 million.The media reports that his estate will most likely continue to make millions due to the popularity of his music. Probate lawyers and trust litigators know that when dealing with such a large estate, complications and family disputes can arise. Who will inherit his fortune? Who are his heirs? Did he have a will?
The Daily Mail and the New York Post report that Carrie Fisher, at the time of her death, had a three film-contract with Disney. Fisher was best known for her role in the original Star Wars as Princess Leia and had recently been contracted by Disney to complete more Star Wars episodes. Although one movie was completed, she had not fulfilled her contract with Disney in its’ entirety before she died.
In late 2016, the world was rocked and saddened by the passing of not only one screen icon, Carrie Fisher, but also her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds. What can you learn from these “quick” deaths as you plan your own estate?Yes, family can “go” quickly after the loss of a loved one, estate planning attorneys reveal. But, often, this is most common with long, close marriages of spouses who are in advanced years. When one spouse passes, it is not surprising that, many times, but not all the time, the surviving spouse or widow, passes within a year or so. In the case of the Star Wars princess, Fisher, and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, however, this was mother-daughter, not spouses. This quick succession of death in a family can cause people who are planning their estates to take pause.After all, this was not a case of two long-married spouses. And this was not the case of the surviving spouse passing away in the following year. This was mother-daughter and days.