
The work we do as trusts and estates attorneys can alter the course of our clients’ lives. But it’s tempting to think of what we do as not being particularly important in the grand scheme of things. That’s a mistake,
Inheritance litigation often turns on a person’s claimed “status” as a decedent’s family member. Examples of this kind of litigation include challenges to a person’s claimed status as a pretermitted child, or an adopted adult, or an adopted-away child, or…
Joaquin Perez had a life insurance policy with a death benefit of $250,000. His son and daughter were equal beneficiaries of the policy. Mr. Perez was tragically shot and killed by his mentally-ill son. The son was ultimately found…
A surviving spouse’s right to an “elective share” reflects Florida’s strong public policy favoring the protection of surviving spouses. On the other hand, the fact that elective-share claims are subject to filing deadlines reflects a potentially competing public…
In our increasingly mobile society, adult guardianships often involve more than one state, raising complex multi-jurisdictional issues.
We have legal theories for resolving these civil procedure puzzles on a case-by-case basis (as demonstrated in the Morrison case), but…
One of the basic building blocks of modern estate planning in Florida is the “pour over” will/revocable trust combination. Which means it’s extremely common to find yourself administering a probate estate in which your primary — if not only…