News & Analysis as of

Estate Planning › Fiduciary Duty › Breach of Duty

Estate Planning is a process where individuals prepare or plan for the settlement of their personal affairs in the event of incapacitation or death. Estate plans typically include provisions relating to the... more +
Estate Planning is a process where individuals prepare or plan for the settlement of their personal affairs in the event of incapacitation or death. Estate plans typically include provisions relating to the disposition of assets, guardianship of minor children, and appointment of representatives to make medical and financial decisions. Effective estate planning can decrease tax liability and facilitate the probate process.  less -
Winstead PC

Texas Supreme Court Reverses Order In Trust Dispute Granting A Constructive Trust

Winstead PC on

In In re Trust A & Trust C, a beneficiary sued a trustee for breach of fiduciary duty and sought a constructive trust over assets that were transferred out of the trust. 690 S.W.3d 80 (Tex. 2024)....more

Downey Brand LLP

No Such Thing as a Free Ride: Section 859 Awards Can Now Go To Whoever Does the Work

Downey Brand LLP on

Newcomers to probate litigation are frequently surprised by how differently things work in probate court, as opposed to your more straightforward civil courts. (And how do those newcomers know how civil courts work?  Law &...more

Winstead PC

Court Affirmed The Removal Of An Executor For Gross Mismanagement

Winstead PC on

In Gordon v. Gordon, a couple created a revocable trust and named a friend, who provided financial advice, as successor trustee. No. 03-22-00454-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 3611 (Tex. App.—Austin May 23, 2024, no pet. history)....more

Winstead PC

Court Affirms Summary Judgment For An Executrix’s Estate Based On Limitations

Winstead PC on

In In re Estate of Maun, a brother sued his sister’s estate for her performance as executrix of their mother’s estate since the late 1980s. No. 13-22-00576-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 52 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi January 4,...more

Winstead PC

Court Affirmed The Trial Court’s Refusal To Probate A Will Due To The Statute Of Limitations

Winstead PC on

In In re Est. of Hartwell, a trial court granted summary judgment that the applicant to probate a will was not entitled to do so due to the statute of limitations. No. 06-23-00054-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 166 (Tex....more

Winstead PC

Court Held That The TCPA Does Not Apply To Claim Involving Texas Trust Code Section 113.28 And Suits Against Third Parties

Winstead PC on

In McCoy v. McCoy, trust beneficiaries sued the trustee for breaching his fiduciary duties by pursing claims against a third party when they instructed him not to do so. No. 08-23-00119-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 6604 (Tex....more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Do Estate Beneficiaries Have a Default Right to Live in Estate Property Rent Free Until the Property is Distributed?

Warner Norcross + Judd on

No, according to In re Estate of Elze D. Harris, Docket No. 362364 (September 28, 2023). In Estate of Harris, the decedent’s three children were embroiled in litigation over who should control their deceased father’s...more

Winstead PC

Court Affirms Receivership In Trust Case Based Solely On An Alleged Failure To Disclose And Did Not Require Traditional Equitable...

Winstead PC on

In Moody Nat’l Bank v. Moody, a beneficiary sued a trustee regarding several allegations of breach of fiduciary duty. No. 14-21-00096-CV, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 7844 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] October 25, 2022, pet....more

Hinshaw & Culbertson - Lawyers for the...

Different Outcomes for Two Law Firms in Legal Malpractice Case Confirm That Lawyers Representing Estate Administrator Do Not Owe a...

Hinshaw & Culbertson - Lawyers for the... on

Brief Summary - The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held that a law firm representing the administrator in estate proceedings did not owe a duty to a beneficiary of the estate, and the...more

Winstead PC

Court Affirms Finding Of An Oral Trust And Breach Of Duty By The Trustee

Winstead PC on

In Ahlgren v. Ahlgren, plaintiffs sued a defendant alleging that the defendant was a trustee of an oral trust who breached duties by refusing to return certain property. No. 13-22-00029-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 4182 (Tex....more

Winstead PC

Court Affirmed Order Removing A Power Of Attorney Agent For Breaches Of Fiduciary Duty

Winstead PC on

In In re Guardianship of Delp, a brother sued his sister over her actions as their mother’s power of attorney agent. No. 02-22-00300-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 3617 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth May 25, 2023, no pet. history)....more

Winstead PC

A Trustees Duties to Disclose - Presentation

Winstead PC on

David F. Johnson will address the complex issues surrounding a trustee’s duty to disclose and will compare Texas law and the Uniform Trust Code on this topic. He will address disclosure requirements under trust documents and...more

Downey Brand LLP

Hot Water Alert! Agent Should Not Co-Own Account with Principal

Downey Brand LLP on

Financial powers of attorney give the named agent broad control over the principal’s assets and thus are a key component of estate planning. Such powers allow the agent to help if and when the principal becomes incapacitated....more

Winstead PC

Court Discusses Holding An Executor In Contempt For Commingling Property

Winstead PC on

In In re Mittelsted, a trial court held a former executor in contempt for over twenty acts of commingling personal property with estate property and ordered that the executor pay over $200,000 to avoid contempt. No....more

McGuireWoods LLP

Recent Cases of Interest to Fiduciaries: May 2023

McGuireWoods LLP on

In the most recent installment of the McGuireWoods Fiduciary Advisory Services annual multipart series on recent fiduciary cases, developments in the law concerning various topics are examined through the following... ...more

Winstead PC

Texas Supreme Court Holds That The Incorporation Of AAA Rules Can Delegate Scope Issues To The Arbitrator, Which May or May Not...

Winstead PC on

The Texas Supreme Court held that arbitration clauses in trust documents may be enforced regarding claims by beneficiaries against trustees. In Rachal v. Reitz, a beneficiary sued a trustee for failing to provide an...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Protecting Yourself When Serving as a Family Trustee

Warner Norcross + Judd on

When it comes to selecting trustees, families often choose family members to serve in this role. There are plenty of great reasons to use a family member, and trustee roles can provide useful experience in teaching the next...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Recent Cases of Interest to Fiduciaries: July 2022

McGuireWoods LLP on

In the most recent installment of the McGuireWoods Fiduciary Advisory Services annual multipart series on recent fiduciary cases, developments in the law concerning various topics are examined through the following: ...more

Goulston & Storrs PC

Probate & Fiduciary Litigation Newsletter - April 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

Winstead PC

Court Reversed Summary Judgment Against Trustee Where Beneficiary’s Affidavit Evidence Was Conclusory

Winstead PC on

In McEndree v. Volke, a beneficiary sued a trustee, her former step father, for breaching fiduciary duties. No. 11-19-00351-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 7856 (Tex. App.—Eastland September 23, 2021, no pet. history). ...more

Stark & Stark

Removal of An Executor of An Estate

Stark & Stark on

Once an individual is appointed an executor of an Estate, they are tasked with the proper and timely completion of the administration of the Estate, as well as the distribution of assets and property of the estate to its...more

Freeman Law

Releases and Family Settlement Agreements in Trust & Estate Litigation

Freeman Law on

A settlement agreement can be beneficial to all parties – it may help reduce litigation costs, facilitate dispute resolution, or guide the parties to a common understanding. However, settlement agreements do not come without...more

Freeman Law

Does an Executor Breach Their Fiduciary Duty By Failing to Disclose Facts to Beneficiaries?

Freeman Law on

A fiduciary’s failure to disclose material facts to beneficiaries may violate their fiduciary duties.  A recent Texas court’s decision outlines the fiduciary’s risks that come with the obligation to disclose....more

Winstead PC

Trustee’s Obligation to Inform Beneficiaries: Avoiding Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims - Presentation

Winstead PC on

David F. Johnson presented “Trustee’s Obligation to Inform Beneficiaries: Avoiding Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims” to a national audience on November 16, 2021, via Strafford publishing with his co-presenter Scott E. Rahn,...more

Winstead PC

Court Discusses De Facto Trustee Status In Texas

Winstead PC on

In Bird v. Carl C. Anderson, a trust beneficiary sued a defendant for usurping a trustee’s role and breaching fiduciary duties as a de facto trustee. No. 03-21-00140-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 5036 (Tex. App.—Austin June 24,...more

59 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 3
Next »

"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:
Sign up Log in
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide