Florida Probate Litigation : Can You Set Aside a Final Judgment in Your Trust and Estates Lawsuit? May 4, 2016 Fourth DCA Opinion

What do probate lawyers West Palm Beach need to know about setting aside a final judgment? Do you know how to set aside a final judgment after a Florida estate lawsuit? A May 6,2016 Palm Beach appeals case, which is not a probate litigation case, gives an explanation of seeking relief from a final judgment under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540.

Setting Aside a Final Judgement in Probate Litigation Boca Raton

• If you are a Florida estate attorney involved in an estate lawsuit, and theres been a final judgment, can you get relief from that final judgement?
• Probate litigation lawyers Delray Beach can tell you that many people cal trust and estates attorneys after their case has gone to trial and appeal.
• Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.540 provides some instances where a final judgment can be set aside.
• Getting relief from judgment in a Florida estate or trust lawsuit is subject to very narrow circumstances and time restraints.
• According to the rule ,a final judgment can be set aside based on mistake, surprise, excusable neglect , newly discovered evidence that could not or should not have been discovered, fraud, or misrepresentation/ misconduct of an adverse party.
• If you are seeking relief from judgment, you have to do so within one year of the judgement, which gives the people involved in trust litigation a very short time period.

Padgett v. Wilton Place, LLC

• This was an affirmance of an order that denied someones motion to vacate a judgmentor set aside a final judgment.
• Although this is not a probate case, the ruling here by the Fourth DCA is very important because it demonstrates what is required to preserve appellate issues at the trial level.
• Here, evidentially, the appellant’s arguments, which they were raising at appellate court in Palm Beach, were not preserved at trial.
• Therefore, they “could not be raised in a rule 1.540 motion to vacate as they were waived by the failure to asset them prior to final judgment.”
• You can’t raise something on appeal that you waived or failed to raise at the trial court.
• To read the entire case, and learn more about rule 1.540 motions in Florida probate litigation, click here.
  

  Want to know more about Florida probate litigation? Consider these free resources:

  • Read the Florida Courts webpage on the probate process:http://www.flcourts.org/resources-and-services/family-courts/family-law-self-help-information/probate.stml
  • Read the Florida Probate Code:http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBLegalRes.nsf/
  • Read the Florida Probate Rules:https://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBLegalRes.nsf/
  • Here are the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar if you are interested in hiring a Florida probate litigation lawyer and want to know more about our ethical rules and our rules of conduct:http://www.floridabar.org/divexe/rrtfb.nsf/WContents?OpenView
  • Here are the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure:http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBLegalRes.nsf/
  • Watch free Florida Trust, Probate & Guardianship videos, which include important topics of Florida estate, guardianship, attorneys fees, & trust law.
  • There is no cost, no sign up, no one will ask you for your email address to see these dozens of free Florida probate videos:http://www.pankauskilawfirm.com/Firm-Overview/FAQS.shtml