News & Analysis as of

Probate Fiduciary Duty

Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC

How to Prepare for the $84 Trillion Inheritance Boom

The United States is on the brink of the largest transition of wealth in its history, known as the “Great Wealth Transfer.” By 2045, an estimated $84 trillion in assets will be transferred from baby-boomers to their heirs. In...more

Stark & Stark

Addressing Issues with an Accounting by an Executor of an Estate

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Prior to the distribution of an estate by an executor to its beneficiaries, an executor must prepare an accounting which outlines the assets of an estate, its liabilities, and the expenses paid by an estate prior to actual...more

Goulston & Storrs PC

Executor Nominated by Decedent Deemed Unfit to Serve

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When is the executor nominated by the decedent in a will deemed unfit to serve as executor? Rarely – but a recent decision in Surrogates Court set forth the standard and deemed the nominated executor in that case unfit to...more

Goulston & Storrs PC

Land Court’s Invalidation of Deed as the Result of Undue Influence Affirmed

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What constitutes undue influence sufficient to invalidate a deed? In Erikson v. Erikson, 105 Mass. App. Ct. 1115 (February 24, 2025), the Appeals Court of Massachusetts affirmed the Land Court’s invalidation of a deed on the...more

Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP

Foreclosure Process Clarification: No Pre-Foreclosure Notice Required to be Served on Appointed Estate Fiduciary for Deceased...

In a significant legal victory for lenders, the Supreme Court of New York recently ruled in favor of our lender client in a residential foreclosure action against the estate of its borrower. This decision confirms that...more

Winstead PC

Texas Supreme Court Holds That Unsworn Testimony By Attorney Regarding A Lost Will Should Have Been Considered By The Appellate...

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In In re Estate of Brown, a charity offered a copy of will to probate. No. 23-0258, 2024 Tex. LEXIS 684 (Tex. August 30, 2024). An attorney offered unsworn testimony regarding the reason for the nonproduction of the original...more

The Estate Lawyers

The Importance of Formal Communications When Amending Trusts

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A recent appellate case serves as a valuable lesson for both estate planners and beneficiaries about adhering to formal procedures when making changes to a trust. The court found that the mere exchange of emails was...more

Charles E. Rounds, Jr. - Suffolk University...

Parsing the Uniform Trust Code in Isolation Without Regard to the Uniform Probate Code and the Uniform Powers of Appointment Act...

Intro. The Uniform Trust Code (UTC) is a mere aggregation of tweaks to the corner of equity jurisprudence that long ago gave birth to and currently stewards the trust relationship, hereinafter “the background trust law.”...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

When Can a Probate Court Remove and Replace the Legal Guardian for an Adult?

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The Michigan Court of Appeals recently answered these questions. In re Guardianship of AMS, No 372183, 2025 WL 452248 (Mich Ct App Feb 10, 2025) (unpublished). AMS was married to Thomas, and she had two daughters, Theresa...more

Patton Sullivan Brodehl LLP

Lis Pendens Upheld in Claim Against Sham Trustee Who Transferred Trust Property

A lis pendens is a recorded document giving constructive notice that a lawsuit has been filed affecting title to or right of possession of the real property described in the notice. Any person later acquiring an interest in...more

Carey Olsen

Cayman Islands: in pursuit of robust and efficient justice

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The Cayman Islands offers many advantages to global families: the structures available are modern and flexible; the jurisdiction's legislation is continually updated in line with the market and evolving international rules;...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

What is a Special Fiduciary and When Can the Probate Court Appoint One?

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The Michigan Court of Appeals recently issued a decision that considered the scope of the probate court’s ability to appoint a special fiduciary. In re Trueman Harrison and Modesta Harrison Trust, No 368031, 2025 WL 272281...more

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Wendy Williams’ Conservatorship Battle: A Cautionary Tale on Estate Planning

Wendy Williams’ ongoing legal battle over her financial conservatorship has reignited public debate on the complexities of incapacity planning. Although she allegedly executed a power of attorney (POA) in favor of her son,...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Slayer Statute — Does a Crime Committed Against the Decedent Impact Inheriting from the Decedent under Michigan Law?

Yes, depending on the nature of the crime and if convicted. In re Donald F. Clark Trust, Court of Appeals January 16, 2025 (unpublished). This appeal involved the probate court's winddown of the Donald F. Clark Trust....more

Offit Kurman

Inheritance Rights of Domestic Partners: A Comparison Between New York and New Jersey Laws

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Domestic partnerships are legal arrangements between two individuals that grant some of the same rights and benefits as marriage. While domestic partnerships are recognized in many states, inheritance rights can differ...more

Downey Brand LLP

So What is a Trust, Really? Newell v. Superior Court and the Worst Party Game Ever

Downey Brand LLP on

Hey everybody – it’s January! How was your New Year’s Eve? How did you celebrate? Did you go to a party? Did you host a party? Were there games at your party? What kind of games? Charades? Jenga?  Maybe you went crazy and...more

Charles E. Rounds, Jr. - Suffolk University...

Due to scrivener negligence, the dispositive provisions of a trust fail to reflect the deceased settlor’s wishes: Can it be that...

Assume the deceased settlor of a trust had intended that his niece be included in the beneficiary class, but his estate-planning attorney had negligently made no provision for her in the governing instrument. After settlor’s...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Can Undue Influence be Proven Without a Direct Eyewitness?

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A recent decision of the Michigan Court of Appeals illustrates how the presumption of undue influence operates in a will contest when there is no eyewitness evidence of undue influence. In re Jones Estate, 2024 WL 5198621...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Fostering Harmony in Your Estate Plan

Planning for your own incapacity or death can be a stressful experience, not just for yourself, but for anyone who will be affected by the plan. Here are some considerations that may preserve the peace within your family, now...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 Trial Court’s Refusal To Probate A Will Due To The Statute Of Limitations

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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

Warner Norcross + Judd

Michigan Court of Appeals Agrees that Personal Representative Could Not Pay Legal Fees from Estate Assets

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The Michigan Court of Appeals recently identified a situation in which the personal representative of an estate is not entitled to have attorney fees paid from estate assets. Braun Kendrick Finkbeiner, PLC, v. Estate of...more

Charles E. Rounds, Jr. - Suffolk University...

Incorporating into a trust instrument a nonjudicial mechanism for effectuating on an ongoing basis the wishes of the deceased...

There is much to commend in O’Brien, Proposing a Model Antilapse Clause, 48 ACTEC L. J. 257 (2023), particularly its flagging of the doctrinal and practical flaws in Uniform Probate Code §2-707, which would apply the...more

Winstead PC

[Webinar] Fiduciary Litigation Update 2022-2023 - December 19th, 10:00 am - 11:00 am CT

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This update will address the following issues: whether a party has a right to jury trial in trust modification and other similar actions, what are the standards for pretrial receivership and injunctive relief in trust...more

Goulston & Storrs PC

Probate & Fiduciary Litigation Newsletter - November 2023

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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

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