Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) › Professional Malpractice › Wills, Trusts, & Estate Planning

Trial lawyers beware of the in terrorem trust clause: A nasty trap that can keep on springing.

An “in terrorem” or “no-contest” clause in a trust instrument provides for the forfeiture or reduction of the equitable property interest of a beneficiary who contests the arrangement. In a recent New Hampshire case, Shelton,...more

Mediation and Arbitration have their limitations when it comes to trust disputes.

Unless the fiduciary issues and the representation issues in a trust dispute are properly sorted out in advance, there is a very real risk that an ill-considered rush to mediate or arbitrate will prove an expensive and...more

California Supreme Court Holds That Heirs in a Wrongful Death Action Are Bound by Decedent's Agreement to Arbitration

California courts have long wrestled with the question of whether a person's agreement to arbitration binds his or her heirs in a later wrongful death action arising out of his or her death. The California Supreme Court's...more