News & Analysis as of

No Contest Clause

Lippes Mathias LLP

Disproportionate Inheritance and Objections to Probate

Lippes Mathias LLP on

Did your father give you a nominal bequest but gave his favorite daughter the bulk of the estate? Were you bequeathed the family dog and $10,000, but your mother’s boyfriend of six months was to receive the Lamborghini and...more

Downey Brand LLP

Flying Too Close to the Sun: The Scope of a No-Contest Clause Disinheritance Under Key v. Tyler

Downey Brand LLP on

This blog has previously mentioned the most common question we hear when people find out we work in probate litigation: “What can I do to make sure my family doesn’t fight over my property after I die?” Because I am a...more

Williams Mullen

[Event] 15th Annual Fiduciary Focus - February 23rd, Richmond, VA

Williams Mullen on

Join us for our 15th Annual Fiduciary Focus! Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Topics Include: - Recent Developments in Wealth Planning - Using Trustee Investment Statements - Strategies to Avoid Fiduciary...more

Patton Sullivan Brodehl LLP

Failure to Pay Attention to Trustee Notice Can Be Fatal

Understanding the significance of trustee notice, as mandated by Probate Code Section 16061.7, is crucial in trust administration.  This notice is required upon the occurrence of certain events, most notably, when a trust...more

Winstead PC

Courts Have Ordered Trial Courts To Grant TCPA Motions To Dismiss Based On No-Contest Clause Claims

Winstead PC on

The Texas Legislature created a statute to protect parties’ rights to freedom of speech and to petition the courts: the Texas Citizen’s Participation Act (TCPA). See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §§ 27.001-.011....more

Bowditch & Dewey

When to Include a No-Contest Clause in a Will or Trust

Bowditch & Dewey on

One of the many reasons for executing a Will and Trust is to make your wishes clear and prevent animosity among family members or other beneficiaries after your death. However, there are circumstances in which it is clear to...more

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.

How to Deal with an Estranged Child in Your Estate Plan

Unfortunately, not all families get along. If you are having problems with one of your children, you may not want them to benefit from your estate. There are several strategies for dealing with an estranged child in your...more

Downey Brand LLP

Late Trust Contest May Trigger Enforcement of No Contest Clause

Downey Brand LLP on

No contest clauses generally are not enforceable against beneficiaries of California trusts when there is “probable cause” to challenge the trust instrument. Yet the probable cause safe harbor may disappear if the contest...more

Goulston & Storrs PC

Probate & Fiduciary Litigation Newsletter - June 2022

Goulston & Storrs PC on

This newsletter is intended to keep readers informed about developments in probate and fiduciary litigation in Massachusetts and New York. Our lawyers are at the forefront of this area of the law, shaping how it is handled in...more

Farrell Fritz, P.C.

Third Department Examines In Terrorem Clause

Farrell Fritz, P.C. on

The recent opinion by the Appellate Division, Third Department, in In re Strom Irrevocable Trust III, 2022 NY Slip Op 01356, provides a cautionary tale to estate litigators who conduct SCPA 1404 examinations in the face of a...more

Rivkin Radler LLP

Insurance Update - March 2022

Rivkin Radler LLP on

Texas practitioners can add a new term to their legal vocabulary: “the Monroe exception.” The Texas Supreme Court has finally weighed in on whether to create an exception to the eight corners rule when determining if an...more

Ruder Ware

Pros and Cons of Using the No-Contest Clause

Ruder Ware on

Drafting an estate plan allows a person to put into writing their wishes for division of assets upon death. Sometimes this means making a choice to give more to one child over the other, or to completely write out natural...more

Ruder Ware

Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained

Ruder Ware on

People handle grief differently and sometimes how a person handles the death of a loved one can be both confusing and also extremely frustrating - fighting over little things like, who gets the table and the chairs, for...more

Downey Brand LLP

Look Before Leaping Into an Anti-SLAPP Motion

Downey Brand LLP on

Suing the suer is a common strategy in California civil litigation. A special motion to strike, known as an anti-SLAPP motion, can be a powerful weapon against such retaliatory litigation. We have explained the use of such...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Divergence Among States in Enforcement of In Terrorem Clauses in Wills and Trusts

Recent decisions in California and Mississippi illustrate the divergence among states regarding enforcement of in terrorem clauses in wills and trusts...more

Downey Brand LLP

Openness and Transparency Help Avoid Trust Disputes – An Interview with Tracy Potts

Downey Brand LLP on

Tracy M. Potts has nearly three decades of experience in California with estate planning, administration and litigation. A Texas native, she earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law. Her...more

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.

Preventing a Will Contest

Emotions can run high at the death of a family member. If a family member is unhappy with the amount they received (or didn't receive) under a will, he or she may contest the will. Will contests can drag out for years,...more

Goulston & Storrs PC

Probate & Fiduciary Litigation Newsletter – June 2019

Goulston & Storrs PC on

The Probate & Fiduciary Litigation Newsletter compiles recent Trust & Estate cases. Our lawyers are at the forefront of this area of the law, shaping how it is handled in the Probate and Family Court. Goulston & Storrs is the...more

Downey Brand LLP

When Defending Becomes Offensive: California Court Expands No Contest Clauses to Defense of Invalid Amendment

Downey Brand LLP on

No contest clauses are included in wills and trusts to discourage dissatisfied beneficiaries from challenging the document’s validity. Because enforcement of these clauses results in disinheritance, the California Probate...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Discouraging Family Fights from the Grave

Bennett Jones LLP on

If you are a beneficiary in a will that contains a no-contest clause, and you don't like what the will directs, be careful before you question its validity. You just might lose everything....more

Holland & Hart LLP

No-Contest Clause Upheld by the Wyoming Supreme Court With No Probable Cause Exception

Holland & Hart LLP on

No-contest clauses (sometimes called in terrorem clauses) are extremely common in today’s litigious society. A no-contest clause essentially makes all gifts under the will or trust conditional upon not challenging the...more

Holland & Hart LLP

No Contest Clauses – Not Just for Wills

Holland & Hart LLP on

Fiduciary litigation continues to grow and often times outpaces the development of case law regarding the myriad of issues that arise in estate and trust disputes. Historically fiduciary litigation involved disputing family...more

Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP

Trust Beneficiary Permitted to Contest Trust Despite No-Contest Clause

Key Takeaway: In Ginsberg et. al. v. Ginsberg et. al., Judge Leibensperger ruled that a trust beneficiary could assert a trust was procured by fraud despite the presence of a in terrorem or no-contest clause. Judge...more

Downey Brand LLP

Play It Again: No Contest Clauses Must Be Referenced In Each California Trust Amendment

Downey Brand LLP on

No contest clauses are an ever-evolving area of the probate law in California. The Court of Appeal further refined the rules governing no contest clauses in a decision issued last week, Aviles v. Swearingen (2017) ___...more

Clark Hill PLC

How to Break Through a "No-Contest Clause" in a Will or Trust in Michigan

Clark Hill PLC on

After much thought and consideration, Alice decided to update her Last Will and Testament to change the amounts her two sons, Bob and Charles, will receive upon her death. Instead of dividing her estate equally between Bob...more

35 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 2

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide