Robin Williams Estate Fight Update: Wife Wants the Wedding Tuxedo.

The tragic suicide of Robin Williams has been in the news yet again as the  Associated Press of San Francisco reports on a meeting by family members ouside of the San Franisco Superior Court house. A lot of people think about the house and the sports car when they write up the will, even the jewelry is a common concern but what about a family heirloom with little resale value? As this most recent dispute in the Robin William’s estate shows, even non-expensive items may cause family disputes. What can you do to ensure family members are not left fighting over every little asset in your palm beach probate estate plan.

1. The wife and adult children of Robin Williams agreed Monday to meet outside court to try to resolve their dispute over a tuxedo he was married in, some family photos taken on his 60th birthday and other items belonging to the late comedian.
2. Judge Andrew Chend of the San. Fran. Superior Court told lawyers for both sides that they should meet before the hearing scheduled for April 10 and enlist the help of a profesional mediatior if necessary prior to returning to Court. (Note this is also a common practice in Florida, to mandate mediation).
3. In papers filed in December, Susan Williams said that the contents of the home she shared with Robin should be excluded from the things the actor left to his children from previous marriages.  She also claimed several items were taken without her permission.
4. The children are alleging that she is changing the terms of various trusts and adding “insult to injury.”
5. Both parties claim this has been a terrible and drawn out process and have tried to do things amicably, resolving hundreds of disputes without the help of the court as to various assets left by the late comedian.
6. This recent bout although it may appear petty may actully only be a small fraction of the total disputes resolved without the need for the court’s intrusion.
7. Robin Williams was an immensely private guy he appointed a trustee over his trusts and apparently gave them absolute discretion is distributing all of his personal property, not much else is known in the way of specifics of these trusts as they are not publicly filed like a will would be.