Fellow lawblogger Juan Antunez has come across an interesting article published by AP concerning the controversies which often accompany the deaths of celebrities. Obviously inspired by the death of James Brown, the article has been published in Juan’s Florida Probate Litigation.com. I, too was struck by this rather strange phenomenon when I learned that, nearly one month after his death, the Godfather of Soul lies in a climate-controlled house awaiting the outcome of a family feud to determine just where and when he is finally to be laid to rest.
Continue Reading Celebrity Deaths Often Involve Controversy

On August 1, 2000, James Brown executed a will in the presence of his attorney Strom Thurmond Jr.(the juxtaposition of the name of the son of one of our nation’s foremost supporters of segregation with the "Godfather of Soul" is not lost upon your blogger!) in which he excluded both his partner and their now five year old  son . As CNN reports tonight, the plot thickens with the assertion by Brown’s attorneys that his subsequent marriage to his partner , Hynie was invalid because she had not yet annulled an earlier marriage at the time of her marriage to Brown.
Continue Reading JAMES BROWN’S WILL EXCLUDES HIS PARTNER AND THEIR INFANT SON

Earlier this year, I reported on the controversy swirling around 104 year old socialite Brooke Astor whose guardianship case has generated legal fees and expenses of about three million dollars according to an article in the December 5th New York Times. The case settled on October 13, shortly before it was slated to go to trial and then the fee applications began to roll in. Oh Boy did they roll in!
Continue Reading Brooke Astor’s Guardianship Case Rolled Up Huge Legal Fees as it Rolled On

A war of words has erupted on the front page of the New York Law Journal over the two million dollar legal fee which Thomas Troiano Esq., a Florida attorney is seeking from the estate of Edward J. Mardovich who died at the World Trade Center on September 11,2001. As I reported here last Tuesday, Mr. Troiano is coming under very heavy criticism for his fee application in Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court on Long Island.
Continue Reading Controversy Continues Over Two Million Dollar Legal Fee

Today’s New York Law Journal reports that a a Florida lawyer’s suit for two million dollars in legal fees to which he claims he is entitled for representing a Suffolk County, New York resident in a claim arising out of her husband’s death in the World Trade Center attack has been stayed pending the outcome of  estate proceedings in Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court.  Troiano v. Mardovich 06 Civ. 523 promises to be a very interesting case as it develops further.
Continue Reading Federal Court Stays Florida Attorney’s Action For 2 Million Dollars in Fees Over September 11 Claim

Today’s New York Daily News  calls attention to a problem that may not surface all that often but is always ugly when it does. Following up on its series of articles about 104 year old socialite Brooke Astor which I have reported on here, the News has turned to Ms. Astor’s lawyer, 63 year old Francis Morrissey who was hired by her son Anthony Marshall to replace the venerable and well-reputed law firm of Sullivan Cromwell which had represented her for forty years.
Continue Reading Spotlight Shifts To Brook Astor’s Attorney

Today’s New York Times  reports that one of the more cynical attempts at drastically cutting the estate tax has gone down to defeat in the Senate.  Proponents of repeal in the House had linked an increase in the minimum wage to the new tax cut proposal which failed in the Senate by four votes. It should…

Following last week’s breaking news story reported here about the alleged mistreatment of 104 year old socialite and heiress Brooke Astor, New York’s Supreme Court has stepped in and appointed Ms. Astor’s longtime friend  and protegee Annette de la Renta as her temporary guardian. This morning, it was reported that Ms. Astor has left a Manhattan hospital for the cushier surroundings of her estate at Briarcliff Manor where her son –and former guardian– 82 year old Anthony Marshall was turned away when he attempted to visit.

Continue Reading New Temporary Guardian Appointed For Socialite Brooke Astor