Tortious interference of a testamentary expectancy is a “tort” or a wrongful act that causes economic harm to another person, and allows for compensatory and punitive damages.
The plaintiff must prove the following elements to establish a claim for the Tort of Intentional Interference with Expectancy:
How To Object To The Final Accounting of a Personal Representative in Florida
The final accounting can be complex. As many Florida residents might know, the probate of an estate can be a very lengthy process that can be full of mistakes. Mistakes are often made when the estate’s personal representative makes the final accounting of the estate. What many people do not realize is that they have the right to object to the final accounting.
The Florida probate rules state that an interested person has 30 days to object to a Final Accounting and Petition for Discharge after the documents have been served. However, a simple broad objection will not work. Written objections must state what parts of the accounting the person is objecting to, and what specific grounds the objections are based upon.
Continue reading
Jacksonville Probate: How to Handle Missing Beneficiaries
Jacksonville probate attorneys often deal with a beneficiary that is alive, but no one knows this person’s address. If a beneficiary goes missing or cannot be found, then there are a few options including using professional heir search companies.
The first place to start is the Florida Rules of Probate, which requires formal notice to be sent to a number of different parties affected by the probate of the estate. The rule can be found under Florida Rule of Probate 5.040. The rule states the formal notice can be sent to the following parties:
What is the Florida Statute Of Limitations on a Will?
A common question Jacksonville estate planning lawyers are often asked is how long does a person have to Florida will contest a will or what is the statute of limitations to contest a will in Florida. As with most legal answers it depends on the rest of the facts. The statute of limitations to dispute or contest a will depends on what documents you have received and what type of notice were given.
The relevant statutes dealing with the Florida statute of limitations on a will can be found under Florida Statute Section 733.212. If a person receives a copy of the Petition for Administration via Formal Notice before the Letter of Administration being issued, then he or she will have 20 days to file any objections to the will. However, it is more likely that a person will be served a copy of the Notice of Administration after Letters of Administration are issued.
Continue reading
Zsa Zsa Gabor is one of the latest celebrity deaths to sadden America. The actress passed away at 99 years old and was known for being one of Hollywood’s first stars due to her colorful personality. She was also known for her many marriages and divorces.
Gabor married nine times, which resulted in seven divorces and an annulment. These complicated series of marriages and breakups has made her estate extremely interesting to estate planning attorneys.
Zsa Zsa’s ninth husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, will have to move out of Gabor’s luxurious Bel Air home where the actress lived for nearly 40 years. What is interesting to note is that for the past three years the couple lived in the large bungalow even though they no longer owned the house.
Often we get clients who are interested in objecting to a will because of undue influence. In Florida there is a split of authority over what happens to a previous will when the most recent will is invalidated by undue influence. The results can be very different and may provide planning opportunities that could insulate from claim of undue influence. As you can see in the case information below, the court determined that the previous will should be valid, while other courts in the states have found that intestacy is the proper method distributing assets after a successful claim of undue influence. If you are changing your will or would like to talk about how to protect from claims of undue influence in Florida, you might talk with a Jacksonville Estate Planning lawyer or Jacksonville Undue Influence Lawyer about your options.
The case of Rocke v. Am. Research Bureau (In re Estate of Murphy), 184 So. 3d 1221
This is a case where the probate court revoked a will due to undue influence. The question then turned on whether or not the decedent’s estate should pass through intestate succession or by a previous will.
History of the case leading up to the claim of Undue Influence.
The testator was Virginia Murphy, a woman that passed away at the age of 107. Her estate was worth 12 million dollars. The decedent executed six wills throughout her lifetime. Murphy’s parents and husband predeceased her, and she had no children or siblings.
A will or trust is one of the essential documents that every person should create. These documents dictate how a person’s assets should pass after death to a personal representative or a trustee. However, will and trusts are sometimes contested by family members when the documents are legally invalid, or someone suspects foul play was involved in the procurement of the document.
What many do not know is that a person that brings a will or trust contest in bad faith can be punished by a Florida probate court. The procedures for bad faith can be found in Florida Statute section 57.105 if a defendant or the court suspects the case was brought in bad faith.
Florida medicaid Liens. Florida residents that suffer from injuries caused by another person are lucky because they can often pay costly medical bills through Medicaid if they qualify for coverage. Medicaid is a government assistance program that provides long-term health coverage to those with low income and few assets. It is sometimes necessary for the person injured to seek further relief by suing the person that caused the injury.
However, what many people do not realize is Medicaid can place a lien on any judgment or monetary settlement a plaintiff receives for wrongful injury or death. The issue then becomes should Medicaid receive a reimbursement for all services given to the recipient or just the medical expenses.
This issue came up in the case of Ark. HHS v. Ahlborn, 547 U.S. 268 (4th DCA July 20, 2016). In this case, the recipient Heidi Ahlborn was severely and permanently injured by in an auto accident with another driver. The other driver was at fault for the accident. Ahlborn owned little assets, which made her able to qualify for Medicaid coverage in her state.
Elder law is one of the most important legal fields in Florida because it helps address the unique needs of this state’s large elderly population. One of the growing concerns in the legal community is the rise of elder abuse. The abuse is frequently under-reported, and worse, the abusers are the persons that often benefit from the abuse.
The elder law attorneys at The Law Office of David M. Goldman PLLC frequently come across older clients that have suffered some form of physical or emotional abuse that allows the abuser to exploit the client. Tragically, the abuser is often a person close to the client such as a family member or a close friend. Studies show that elder abuse is a growing problem in Florida and areas like Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra.
Why Are The Current Laws Not Enough?
Continue reading
Florida’s 3rd District Court of Appeal held on October 26, 201 that an estate planning attorney must break the attorney-client privilege for deceased client must by testifying in a will contest trial for undue influence. The trial court ordered the attorney to testify, and the attorney refused. The attorney appealed the trial court’s order to the court of appeal to review the issue as a matter of law. The 3rd District Court of Appeal denied the attorney’s petition and the trial court’s order now must be enforced.
The events of what led to the holding are interesting. The original proceedings by the plaintiffs sought to revoke the probate of two wills, one that was executed in 2012 and another that was executed in 2013. Four of the testator’s children challenged their mother’s mental capacity to make these wills, and assert the wills were the product of undue influence by the fifth child. The fifth child was the only child listed as a beneficiary in the 2013 will, while the other children were disinherited.
Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog