So, you are thinking of gearing up and getting going on a probate lawsuit in Florida, right?  You got cut out of thatrevocable trust in Boca Raton, or maybe written out of dad’s will in that Palm Beach Gardens probate, and you are angry!  You want your share of mom or dad’s $5 Million estate and $4 Million Living Trust in Boyton Beach. After all, you feel that you are entitled to a Florida inheritance as your parent’s adult child and heir at law ! (Aren’t you?….. perhaps not, but….)  Before you get going, all geared up for that objection to your parent’s last will in Florida, consider 5 things which probate litigators in Florida won’t tell you about your Palm Beach inheritance lawsuit or estate case.

Have you ever wondered when the right time to make a will is? In  West Palm Beach experienced probate litigators will tell you the sooner the better. Do you know why? To understand the importance of a good estate plan you may want to consider what has been going on in the Bobbi Kristina inheritance battle. 

Have you ever heard of a sweetheart scam? With online dating become more  and more popular, sites like match.com and Zoosk are becoming a hotbed for con-men (and con-women) who want your West Palm Beach inheritance! Do you know how to protect yourself or possibly your elderly parents from being conned out of an inheritance? Do you think this could not happen to you? Then you may want to hear about a recent bunch of cons happening across the pond in the United Kingdom that have decimated several inheritances. 

West Palm Beach probate litigators know that it is not just about the  heirs. Creditors in West Palm Beach need to know how to secure their debt even upon death of a debtor. It may be time to file a caveat in the probate court; do you know what that is?

Sibling rivalry leads to probate case and lawsuit over trust money?  Florida is not alone in undue influence lawsuits in probate court between siblings.  So, here is an Illinois Appellate Court, 2nd District case issued on June 17, 2015, 2015 IL App (2d) 140985-U, Trackman v. Michela, No. 2-14-0985, Appeal from the Circuit Court of Lake County, IL. If you are involved in a Palm Beach estate case of undue influence, or your sister or brother committed tortious interference with your expectancy of an inheritance, you may want to read this June 2015 undue influence probate lawsuit involving family money and mother’s revocable living trust.

Who’s watching over those guardianship attorneys to make sure that they charge a reasonable fee under the Florida Guardianship Code and under the Florida Bar Rules? Well, the answer is usually the Delray Beach guardian or the probate court in Florida.  After all, in Florida guardianships, a person who is the subject of the Palm Beach guardianship, the alleged incapacitated person, or the Ward, if a guardianship is found to be necessary, pays the court appointed attorney and the guardian and the guardian’s lawyers.  So, we all need to be mindful of what the ward’s money is being spent on, and that it is spent reasonably. A lot of family members can find it frustrating that Florida guardianships, or even health care or attendant care in general, gets to be expensive as our parents age and as they may be hindered by dementia or Alzheimers requiring a lot of care, or caretakers or round the clock care.  Here is a guardianship case where an attorney for the Ward had his attorneys feesreduced.  If you are interested in how some courts analyze whether a guardianship lawyer’s fees are reasonable or not, consider reading this June 16, 2015 Washington appeal opinion.

Have you been talking to your friends in Pompano Beach about their  estate plan? Are you confused why so many people are using trusts as a substitute for wills or other testamentary instruments?Experienced Palm Beach probate litigators are using trusts to manage everything from real estate and stocks to the family burial plots and pets. Want to see how? Learn how a properly drawn up Palm Beach trust could help you.

Why in the world would a widow or a Palm Beach probate beneficiary want to to know anything about a default judgment in this September 17, 2015 opinion from the Florida Supreme Court.  Well, if you arein the middle of a will contest, or are objecting to the probate of a Boca Raton $10 Millionestate, and you give NOTICE to beneficiaries, and they don’t want to get involved, ask your probate litigation law firm West Palm Beach what they want to do? Your estate litigation lawyer will want to get those “interested persons” and other beneficiaries defaulted! Why?  Either get on board and participate in the Revocable Trust lawsuit Palm Beach Gardens, take a side in the will contest case, or step aside. 

Some people just have all the luck. Did you hear about the teen girl who may have  a right to contest her billionaire father’s will? Do you have a right to contest a will in West Palm Beach? If you are unsure, check out what is going on in this recent probate dispute out of Los Angeles County California. 

Who you were married to matters for probate purposes in West Palm Beach.  A spouse has certain rights to an estate that others simply do not. Same sex marriage is bringing up some interesting issues with spouses, probate and more in West Palm Beach. Check out this recent case out of Palm Beach involving a well known local university and a same sex couple arguing for acceptance.