The Case of the Laughing Heirs
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
The California Court of Appeal recently reaffirmed that a party’s ownership interest in real property must be clearly established before the party can have standing to bring an action for partition of the property. ...more
It is a common misconception believed by many that having a will avoids probate. Not only is it false, it really could not be further from the truth. Rather, a will is a tool that is often used during the probate process and...more
In 1998, Elizabeth died leaving a will that contained a trust for the benefit of her niece, Jean, for her life. Upon Jean’s death, the remaining trust assets were to pass to her other niece, Dorothy. Both Jean and Dorothy...more
It is a standard requirement in Probate Court disputes that the parties strictly adhere to the rules regarding notice of relief sought to all potential heirs and beneficiaries. The recent decision of Bailey v. Bailey...more
We are increasingly seeing more disputes over the validity of marriages in probate litigation. A recurring fact pattern is that a romantic partner will attempt to orchestrate a marriage to the second partner, who is suffering...more
While Disneyland may be the “Happiest Place on Earth,” a California probate court may be the opposite for a Disney heir, mused the U.S. Court of Appeals in Lund v. Cowan (9th Cir. 2021) ___ F.3d ___. Bradford Lund, a 50...more