The Michigan Court of Appeals recently issued an interesting ruling regarding the ability of a litigant in probate litigation to recover attorney fees from the trust in dispute, even if all parties agree to such payment. In...more
Individuals with a disability or special needs (hereafter, the “individual”) frequently have a team of people providing them the care and assistance they require. For families managing this care team, there is an...more
I. SYNOPSIS- Ed was a vibrant and healthy 85-year-old. One day, he decided to sign an advance healthcare directive providing that if his physical condition ever declined, he wished to remain in his home as long as...more
This week, we heard about yet another conservatorship that may have been improper or involved misconduct: that of Michael Oher, the former NFL player. I take no position on the truth of the matter, that is what the discovery...more
Fiduciary litigation, which includes disputes involving families, estates, trusts, and property transfers, can be complex and daunting. However, there are certain basic, frequently encountered aspects of fiduciary...more
What pea is in which pod? California probate disputes often involve questions of property ownership. Petitions filed under Probate Code section 850 allow judges to determine whether and to what extent an estate is the true...more
There may come a time in your life when you are in need of a fiduciary. A fiduciary relationship is deemed to exist when one party is bound to act for the benefit of another party. You may have the opportunity to choose your...more
Congress instituted National Estate Planning Awareness week in 2008 to help Americans understand estate planning and its role in a person’s financial well-being. It’s a great reminder to organize, review and update your...more
When preparing your estate plan, it is essential to designate the proper fiduciaries to handle your affairs during your incapacity or after your death. How do you choose the right person for each of these roles? This is one...more
Picture this: your beloved grandfather hands out cash gifts to his three grandchildren every year on their birthdays. Each grandchild receives $100 every year like clockwork. Then, one year, your grandfather gives your cousin...more
We begin the year with a case, Riverside County Public Guardian v. Snukst (2022) ___ Cal.App.5th ___, involving an elder with dementia who received Medi-Cal benefits. The case, a blast from the past, illustrates how the...more
This newsletter is intended to keep readers informed about developments in probate and fiduciary litigation in Massachusetts and New York. Decedent’s New York Residence at Time of Death Does Not Create Jurisdiction in New...more
Zachary Young is a private professional fiduciary with CMY Fiduciary Services in Sacramento. His mother, Carolyn M. Young, began work as a fiduciary in 1986. Zach received his bachelor’s degree in business and communications...more
As trusts and estates litigation counsel, we often have matters where a fiduciary, either as a trustee, conservator, personal representative, or agent under a power of attorney, fails to provide financial information when...more
After creating and implementing a plan for your estate, it is important to regularly revisit your plan to ensure that it is still reflective of your values and goals for passing along your legacy. Seemingly small changes in...more
If you’re like most people, there is a laundry list of things you’d rather do than think about your estate plan. While it can be a challenging area to discuss, your estate plan is essential to ensure you and your family are...more
Stepmothers are frequent characters in California trust and estate litigation, as they are in fairy tales and Disney movies. With about half of all marriages ending in divorce, there are many stepmother/stepchild...more
While financial elder abuse is a serious problem in California, not just anyone can sue to protect an abused elder. This is especially true if the elder does not want to bring suit in the first place. On April 19, 2017, the...more
In an article earlier this year we noted that at a large number of states had introduced legislation to address an emerging issue that is unique to our Information Age: how will our digital assets be accessed and used (or...more
The recently-proposed Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (“Revised UFADAA”) is a potential solution to a problem that most of us eventually will face: how will our digital assets be accessed and used (or...more
Imagine how you would feel if you walked into your bank, asked for a summary of your account activity and the bank told you that it had no idea how much money was in your account or how it had been spent. Of course, this...more