Parkland shooter Nicolas Cruz lost his mother November 1, 2017. Now, his late mother’s estate has been “opened” in Florida probate court and a woman who was once in charge of Nicolas wants to run his mom’s estate.
Have you ever heard the term “trust fund baby”? This is someone who, by luck, is the beneficiary of a massive trust holding millions and millions of dollars. Usually, trust fund babies have lots of money simply because they were born to wealthy families, not because they worked for it. The truth is that trust fund babies and trust fund beneficiaries have rights. The Florida Trust Code is a body of law, in our statutes, that gives beneficiaries, including trust fund babies, lots of rights. To learn more about your rights as the beneficiary of a West Palm Beach or Orlando trust, you should talk to a Florida probate litigation lawyer.
Pankauski Hauser PLLC provides focused, serious representation in the area of probate & business litigation and appeals, wills, trusts and estate disputes to clients throughout Florida and nationwide. Admittedly, our firm is not for everyone. Our firm is never hired to “write letters”. Our law firm is hired to sue someone, or to vigorously defend someone, and to resolve the underlying dispute. Strategy. Trial. Resolution. We only handle disputes and controversies, which allows us to refine our trial techniques with every case that we complete. We are serious litigators – we prepare every case as though it will go to trial, and our attorneys are in the courtroom almost every day.
A June 6, 2017 opinion from the Court of Appeals of Georgia, Slosberg v. Giller, regards a family probate dispute and undue influence. Although this is not a Florida trust and estates case, probate litigators and trust attorneys frequently encounter similar lawsuits. Furthermore, Slosberg v. Giller provides us, whether we are Georgia probate lawyers or Florida trust attorneys, with a great definition of undue influence and some of the requirements of an undue influence claim. Palm Beach trust and estates lawyers are often hired to “fight” changes to wills, trusts, or estate planning documents that may have been the product of undue influence. Undue influence claims in Florida probate courts are common, and experienced West Palm Beach estate lawyers know how to successfully litigate them. When can a trial court dispose of an undue influence claim by summary judgment? Can a trial court limit the scope of evidence to the time periods in which the father executed the challenged documents?
If foreign law allows a couple to inherit from each other as surviving spouses, despite not being married, will they be able to inherit as a surviving spouse in Florida? No!
According to a February 4, 2018 New York Times article, the beneficiaries of James Brown’s estate have not yet received their inheritances. This is because more than a dozen lawsuits related to his estate have been filed.
According to a February 4, 2018 New York Times article, the beneficiaries of James Brown’s estate have not yet received any money. This is because more than a dozen lawsuits related to his estate have been filed. Probate lawyers know that litigation can make the probate process much longer. One of the lawsuits challenges whether Brown’s widow, Tommie Rae Hynie, was even his wife. What if he was not legally married to her?
Do adopted children inherit from their adoptive parents or their natural parents? When does a child’s right to inherit from their natural parent no longer exist? Do adopted children inherit from the parents that adopted them? What about foster children? If I am adopted, can I still inherit from my biological father? You should read Florida Statute 732.108.
What does dying intestate mean? In a Palm Beach probate proceeding, what is a petition to determine intestate beneficiaries? What is Florida Statute 733.105? What should probate litigators know about a petition to determine intestate beneficiaries and the doctrine of res judicata? A February 22,2017 Second DCA opinion answers these questions.
Are you involved in a Florida probate or estate proceeding in Florida? If you are, and a judgment was handed down that is not favorable to you, you may be thinking about an appeal. What does a probate appeal entail? Should you hire a West Palm Beach appellate lawyer? There are four things you absolutely need to understand prior to analyzing the likelihood of your appeal being successful.