It used to be so simple. Back in the day trust lawyers had to contend with only three possible players: settlors, trustees and beneficiaries. Today that trio’s often joined by a new creature we’re still not exactly sure what to
“Wills are uncanny and electric documents. They lie dormant for years and then spring to life when their author dies, as if death were rain. Their effect on those they enrich is never negligible, and sometimes unexpectedly charged. They thrust
Increasing numbers of people have connections with one country, but live and work in another, frequently owning property or investments in several countries. This is especially true in Florida, which continues its reign as the top destination for international home
Brandan J. Pratt of Huth, Pratt & Milhauser in Boca Raton was on the winning side of Markes v. Markes, an interesting 4th DCA appellate opinion I wrote about here involving a contested, multi-jurisdictional estate with contacts in New York,
If you make your living in or around the world of trusts and estates, by now you’ve heard of the litigation that’s broken out over Jimmy Buffett’s estate. What I find most interesting about this case is that it’s not
It’s not uncommon for a trusts and estates litigator to wake up the morning after reaching a settlement wondering if she or he overlooked a significant tax issue. Why? Because virtually every action taken in this kind of case, from
One of the big selling points for settling disputes is finality: you may not have gotten everything you wanted, but at least it’s over. The value of finality is especially high in the technically demanding and emotionally charged world of
In 2022 the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure changed to allow district courts of appeal to review orders granting or denying leave to amend to add a claim for punitive damages by interlocutory appeal. That rule change has triggered a
If you make your living in and around our probate courts you’ll want to understand the pressures our state court judges are subject to, which are mostly driven by the volume of cases they juggle with a fraction of the
Dan Seigel is an experienced trusts and estates litigator who just published an article in the Florida Bar Journal entitled Creative Strategies for Defending Cases Involving Tortious Interference With Inheritance Expectation Claims. Dan’s article is a must read for
