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Guardianship of Michael Jackson’s children resolved.

On August 22, 2012, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff finalized a co-guardianship agreement for the late Michael Jackson’s three children. Katherine Jackson and T.J. Jackson, will be sharing the responsibilities concerning Prince, 15, Paris, 14, and Blanket, 10. During an earlier hearing on August 2nd, Judge Beckloff said a court appointed investigator had …

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Los Angeles Probate Lawyer Discusses A Dialogue With Chief Judges on Key Issues

On July 31, 2012, firm partner, Yasha Bronshteyn attended roundtable discussion regarding Key Issues for Leaders of Business and the Community at the UCLA School of Law with Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Alex Kozinski; former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit …

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A California Will May Not Prevent an Inheritance Battle

Imagine a scenario where a parent passes away with four children and $400,000 in assets. The parent created a will stating that each child will inherit one-fourth of his estate. That sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, just such a scenario often turns into a long legal fight between siblings. Even in cases of modest wealth, …

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Riverside County Case Emphasizes the Need to Revisit Your California Estate Plan Often

A recent decision by a Riverside County Superior Court judge may affect other California estate litigation cases where the decedent passed away in 2010. That was a unique year, as the federal government failed to levy an estate tax on any assets passed on by deceased loved ones. When estate planning documents are written in …

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Incapacitation and the California Estate Plan

As medical technology advances, Americans are increasingly living longer lives. This means many people are at a greater risk for becoming incapacitated in some way prior to death. When an individual becomes incapacitated, they are no longer able to make important financial decisions and manage their own affairs. Additionally, incapacitation may call into question important …

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California Appeals Court Holds Trust Modifications Invalid Unless they Comply With Method Stated in Trust Instrument

California’s Fifth Appellate District held recently in King v. Lynch that amendments to a trust were not valid although they complied with Section 15401 of the California Probate Code because the amendments failed to comply with the method specified in the trust documents. In the case, a married couple, Zoel and Edna Lynch, created a …

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Battle Over Thomas Kinkade’s California Estate Continues

Artist Thomas Kinkade died of an accidental drug and alcohol overdose at his home on April 6th at age 54. Since that time, a legal battle between Kinkade’s estranged wife, Nanette, and his live-in girlfriend, Amy Pinto-Walsh, over the artist’s estate has ensued. Earlier this month, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Leslie Nichols ordered …

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A Surviving Omitted Spouse May Be Sued for Elder Financial Abuse in California

A California appeals court ruled that a surviving spouse who was awarded a portion of a decedent’s estate pursuant to California Probate Code Section 21611, after initially being omitted from a will or other instrument, may be sued for financial elder abuse committed while the decedent was alive. In Estate of Dito, Barbara Merritt, the …

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Gabor Conservatorship Battle Sent to Mediation in Los Angeles

The husband and daughter of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor are attempting to mediate a dispute regarding the 95-year-old’s medical care and financial matters in a reported effort to avoid a lengthy court battle. Previously, Gabor’s only child, 64-year-old Constance Francesca Hilton, asked a California court to establish a conservatorship to mange her mother’s care and …

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California’s Fourth Appellate District Recognizes Intentional Interference with an Expected Inheritance Tort

Last month, California’s Fourth Appellate District recognized a claim for intentional interference with an expected inheritance (IIEI) in Beckwith v. Dahl. Prior to Beckwith, anyone who expected to inherit according to a California will or trust could only sue to overturn an instrument in probate court. In order to do so, however, a party must …

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