In January, I reported on the case of Lillian Glasser, an elderly widow from New Jersey with a home in Boca Raton Florida who has found herself to be embroiled in a bitter guardianship dispute in Texas .Fellow law blogger Professor Gerry W. Beyer has reported on the next phase of this legal…

Long the butt of jokes of late night comedians,former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith has entered a new arena. The Supreme Court today heard arguments in her action to re-open her claim against the estate of her late husband J. Howard Marshall (who died at the age of 90 after a brief marriage to Ms. Smith) . The Justices seemed extremely interested in all phases of this case which truly has something to interest everyone. It involves an estate of approximately 1.6 billion dollars, allegations of a forged will and chicanery on all sides.
Continue Reading Supreme Court Hears Anna Nicole Smith’s Claim

The worst matrimonial cases often involve bitter custody disputes which may involve not only domestic violence but also child-snatching as well. As nasty as some estate contests can be, I have always taken comfort knowing that the worst of them do not compare to a garden-variety custody fight. The case of Lillian Glasser, reported in the December 28th New York Times combines the worst features of a custody fight with the worst features of an estate fight. What could be messier than an interstate custody fight between adult siblings over a parent with a net worth of twenty five million dollars?
Continue Reading Contested Guardianship Sparks Multistate Feud in Federal Court

A quick word of advice from my fellow law blogger, Texas law Professor Gerry W. Beyers in his Wills Trusts and Estates Blog who has come across an advice columnist dispensing legal advice mixed in with her helpful hints on interpersonal relationships.
“People seeking legal advice” cautions the professor, “should consult with a lawyer,…

The significance that family members may attach to relatively insignificant possessions can easily lead to huge disputes in the settling of an estate. An article by Margaret McCaffrey in the December 8th New York Times deals with this subject in humanistic rather than legalistic terms. Nevertheless, Ms McCaffrey’s suggestions on how to anticipate and defuse…

My colleague in Florida, Juan Antunez (The Florida Probate Litigation Blog), has been reporting on a feud which has erupted following the death of Rosa Parks . Juan cites The Wall Street Journal story on November 16 which details a dispute between relatives of the civil rights pioneer and those who were handling her business…

Thanks to professor of law Gerry W. Beyer’s Wills,Trusts and Estates Prof Blog, I read a very interesting article originally published this past week in The Hill by Elana Schor which provides an in-depth explanation of just what Senator Frist has done (and may have been intending to accomplish) with the use of Generation…

By a 3-2 majority, New York’s Appellate Division, Second Department has stated that same-sex partners cannot pursue an action for wrongful death in New York. Langan v. St. Vincent’s Hospital, 2003-04702 was originally commenced by the survivor of a same-sex couple whose partner died after undergoing surgery for injuries suffered after having been struck by an automobile. The couple had earlier entered into a civil union in Vermont where such agreements are legal and binding.
Continue Reading Same Sex Partner Loses Wrongful Death Action