On December 18,2016, Zsa Zsa Gabor passed away. She was married nine times, divorced seven, and one marriage was annulled. Will any of her ex-husbands inherit from her estate? How can you ” disinherit” a former spouse?
On December 18,2016, Zsa Zsa Gabor passed away of heart failure. She was best known for her life in the spotlight, especially during the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Although she began her celebrity “career” as a performer, she seemed to maintain her celebrity status by simply being an American icon and socialite. Who will inherit from her presumably large estate? Did she have a solid estate plan in place? Planning her estate may not have been simple. It probably required assistance from an experience estate planning attorney. CNN reports that she was married nine times, divorced seven , and had one marriage annulled. How could this affect her estate and who inherits? What do prenuptial agreements(prenups) and divorce a have to do with inheritance disputes? Did she have a spouse at the time of her death?
Fox News reports about a jeopardy contestant, Cindy Stowell, who, unfortunately, died of cancer before her episodes aired. She won $80,002 so far and will compete again on the episode tonight, December 20,2016. Her winnings were kept a secret because the show hadn’t aired. Will her friends and family inherit this money? Will it go to her estate?
Fidel Castro, best known as Cuba’s former president and communist dictator, died on November 26, 2016. Forbes reported that Fidel Castro’s net worth could have been $900 million. However, when the original article stating this figure was published in 2006, Castro denied that he had this wealth. In fact, he claimed that he was living off around $50.00 per week. What was he really worth? Who will inherit from his estate? Will they inherit nothing or $900 million? Who are his heirs?
Join us TODAY, December 15, 2016 for a FREE webinar hosted by John Pankauski, managing partner at Pankauski Hauser PLLC. This course, Ethics for Probate Lawyers, is a one-hour ethics course worth 1 ETHICS CLE CREDIT. To join this webinar, click here. If you are unable to attend live, you will be able to watch it at www.phflorida.com until June 2017 to obtain credit.
On December 13, 2016, Alan Thicke died of a heart attack. He is best known for his role as the father on the very popular TV show “Growing Pains”. Who will inherit Alan Thicket’s wealth? How much was the popular actor worth? After learning of this unexpected death, it is hard not to wonder where his fortune is headed. The media has not yet reported whether or not he has died without a will. What does this mean for his family?
Every so often our probate judges in West Palm Beach rotate with other judges from other divisions in the Court. Typically these rotations or transfers happen in mid-January (although from time to time, there are mid-year changes and rotations, which are more of the “exception” to the standard practice).
What is Florida’s Slayer Statute? What does it have to do with Florida probate litigation? If I murder my spouse, can I still inherit from him or her? If I murder my girlfriend in Palm Beach, will I inherit her millions of dollars? What do Florida inheritance laws have to do with murder? If Dalia Dippolito had actually murdered her husband, would she have been able to inherit from her state as she allegedly intended?
It is shocking what some people will do for money. As John Pankauski states in Pankauski’s Probate Litigation Guide: Top 10 Probate Mistakes Revealed, “your family is going to fight over your wealth: when you’re gone and – perhaps – while you’re still alive.” A Texas man allegedly murdered his grandmother for his inheritance. The media reports on December 6, 2016 that his murder trial has begun. Did his grandmother have a proper estate plan in place? Did he even inherit under the grandmother’s will? Can he still inherit if he is found guilty of murder?
What claims are required to be e-filed in Florida? Can a trust and estates attorney simply file claims electronically or do they need to mail them to the Palm Beach court house? What if a probate litigator only mails a creditor’s claim on behalf of a client, yet fails to file it electronically? You should read Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.520 and 2.525 to learn more about mandatory electronic filing.