As we all know, reknowned boxer Muhammad Ali passed away just last week on June 3,2016. Media outlets report that his estate may be worth around $80 million. Who will inherit this? What is the exact amount that his estate is worth? What will the beneficiaries of his will recieve? What will they have to do to inherit? What is probating a will in Florida?
Is your dad trying to leave you nothing in his Florida trust or Palm Beach will? According to Florida law, can he do this? How is it fair that my dad’s third or fourth wife is inheriting everything? What are my rights as his child to his Palm Beach estate? What is undue influence in a Florida trust or estate lawsuit? Probate lawyers in West Palm Beach know that inheritance changes can result in lawsuits between family members.You may want to read about Tom Benson, owner of the Saints and Pelicans, legal battles with his daughter and grandchildren.
What is the Best Evidence Rule? How is it relevant to my Florida probate lawsuit? Are there exceptions to this rule in the Florida Statutes? What should my Palm Beach trust and estates litigator know about this rule? If you are involved in an inheritance or guardianship lawsuit, you may want to read this June 1, 2016 Fourth District Court of Appeal(DCA).
So, you have heard me talk many times about my American Bar Association article on the overlap between divorce lawyers and trust or probate litigators. I wrote “When Worlds Collide” because our probate litigation law firm in West Palm Beach was getting called into big cases by Florida’s top family law lawyers when a trust was involved. I’m proud to say that we still work on a number of family law or divorce issues with Palm Beach’s top divorce attorneys, including trials and hearings on trusts this very year. So, if you are in the middle of a divorce, and your soon to be former husband or wife has one or more trusts, ask your divorce lawyer if you can get money from the trust. And read the two Casselberry cases from Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal.
What is a multiplier on attorneys fees and how does it apply? Have you discussed getting a multiplier on your attorneys fees for your trust contest in Florida probate court? Can your estate lawyer seek a multiplier? DID your attorney seek a multiplier to get more in attorneys fees? What do probate litigators need to know about multipliers and the lodestar method of calculating attorneys fees? If you are involved in trust and estate litigation in Florida, you will want to read this June 1,2016 appeal regarding attorneys fees.
What is the lodestar method of calculating attorneys fees? When is it utilized? Are you even entitled to attorneys fees? You may want to read a June 1,2016 Second DCA appeal regarding attorneys fees and how the court calculates whether they are reasonable or not.
9 months ago, Florida estate attorneys took note of a very important Florida Supreme Court case that affects all Florida probate litigation law firms’ practices. The Golden v. Jones case, which is perhaps the most important estate creditor case in years, made it clear that if you are a known or reasonably ascertainable creditor, and you did not get actual notice (service) of the estate proceeding, then you have 2 years from the date of death to file a claim. Here are 5 things you need to know about probate claims if you are trying to make a claim in the probate or if you are a personal representative or an executor of a Palm Beach or Naples, Florida estate. And, you can read this important estate creditor Florida Supreme Court case, Golden v. Jones, here:http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2015/sc13-2536.pdf
Did someone die in Florida who owed you money? Maybe he or she was supposed to do something under a martial settlement agreement from a Florida divorce, or transfer title to real estate for you — and didn’t–and then died. Now you have to go from dealing with a Family Law attorney to a Boca Raton probate lawyer? Yea, pretty much. Here is some information about your rights as a creditor to a deceased Florida resident, and, since death, his or her estate. It is based on a very important probate appeal from the Florida Supreme Court. As you ‘ll see, this important case is for any creditor who has a statement of claim or who needs to file a statement of claim, whether you are in Naples, Florida or Delray Beach. And whether you are an ex-spouse, former spouse, business partner, contract party, had a prenuptial agreement or any “deal.” If you are owed money by someone who died, tell your Florida estate litigation attorney to read the October 1, 2015 Golden v. Jones case, 176 So. 3d 242 (Fla. 2015).
If you are involved in a Palm Beach will contest, your Florida probate attorney will want to know if there are prior wills. What did the other wills say? Who inherits under the present will, versus the prior wills? Now, your probate litigation law firm in West Palm Beach will want to know about the doctrine of dependent relative revocation, which may, “revive” prior wills in a Palm Beach probate if the present will is found to be invalid, such as by undue influence or lack of capacity. So, here are 6 things your estate lawyer needs to know about the Florida doctrine of dependent relative revocation. To read more about this probate legal concept, you can click on this link and read about the Estate of Murphy, Rocke v. American Research Bureau. The Estate of Murphy case is perhaps one of the most important probate lawsuit and will contest appeals court opinions issued in Florida recently. The citation is 184 So. 3d, 1221 (Fla., 2nd DCA, January 20, 2016) and here is the link to read this free will contest appeal opinion:http://www.2dca.org/opinions/Opinion_Pages/Opinion_Pages_2016/January/January%2020,%202016/2D14-4107rh.pdf
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — On April 27, 2016, guardianship litigation attorney John Pankauski spoke to approximately 80 employees of the V.A. in West Palm Beach.