Trusts & Estates

New Interest in Estate Planning for Pets

Only a select few are able to follow Leona Helmsley’s lead and leave a pet $12 million as part of an estate plan. But news of the massive trust she set up for her dog—to whom the hotel and real estate magnate gave more than any other individual beneficiary—is helping…

Sep 4, 2007 3:41 PM CDT

Helmsley Will: Dog Gets $12 Million

Leona Helmsley’s dog, a Maltese named Trouble, is to get the benefit of $12 million under the luxury hotel queen’s will. The money is to be in trust, of course, since animals can’t directly hold funds. Helmsley, who died last week at age 87, also left $10 million to her…

Aug 29, 2007 2:55 PM CDT

FL Firm Loses Malpractice Appeal

A Florida appeals court has upheld a $1.04 million malpractice verdict against a law firm sued by heirs of the Gannett newspaper fortune. The suit claimed Gunster Yoakley & Stewart hired firm client JPMorgan to do estate planning work for Charles V. McAdam Jr., driving up the costs of estate…

Aug 23, 2007 11:11 AM CDT

Suit Targets Lawyer in Trust Dispute

An animal shelter has accused a Pittsburgh lawyer of improperly diverting money from a widow’s estate to three of his favored charities. The no-kill Pittsburgh shelter, Animal Friends, claims Gregory Harbaugh obtained power of attorney from widow Rita Conrady as her health was failing and then changed her trust to…

Aug 21, 2007 12:38 PM CDT

Challenge of Astor Will Called ‘Absurd’

Court-appointed guardians for socialite Brooke Astor, who died this week at the age of 105, are challenging her latest will and several amendments to it. Court papers filed Tuesday argue Astor was incompetent or unduly influenced when she signed a 2002 will and the amendments, the New York Times reports.…

Aug 16, 2007 1:58 PM CDT

Great Expectations: Law Clan in 14-Year Estate Battle

Corrected: When Walter L. Green died in 1993, the prominent Prince George’s County jurist, lawyer and businessman left an estate variously estimated as worth between $17 million and $30 million, as well as a detailed 10-page will explaining how to divide it. The basic plan, however, wasn’t particularly complex: after…

Aug 15, 2007 10:57 PM CDT

Classic Exam Question in Benoit Case: Who Died When?

Most lawyers probably remember a case or two from law school that dealt with the issue of short-term survivors. Estate attorneys often address it by drafting wills that require a brief period of survivorship (perhaps as little as 48 hours or as much as a month) before a beneficiary can…

Aug 15, 2007 9:08 PM CDT

Charities Could Contest Astor Will

Public institutions that stood to inherit more money from earlier versions of Brooke Astor’s will are most likely to object to changes made in the final years of her life. The New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum Art are among the charities that will receive smaller donations from…

Aug 15, 2007 1:17 PM CDT

The Multimillionaire Rat Race

An estate planning lawyer who advises Silicon Valley millionaires says his clients don’t feel particularly rich. Lawyer David Hettig told the New York Times that well-to-do high-tech executives compare themselves with others who have even more money. “People around here, if they have 2 or 3 million dollars, they don’t…

Aug 6, 2007 3:37 PM CDT

Erosion of Trust

Hawaii’s Bishop Estate: a cautionary tale of mismanagement at a charitable organization

Aug 1, 2007 11:57 AM CDT

In Vitro Kids Are Beneficiaries

Two children conceived by in vitro fertilization after the death of their father are beneficiaries of trusts he created for his “issue” and “descendants,” a New York judge has ruled. Surrogate Renee Roth said it appeared the father intended that “all members of his bloodline” share in the trusts, created…

Aug 1, 2007 11:36 AM CDT

Arrested Attorney Gambled Away $800 K

A run of good luck has apparently ended for a graduate of Yale Law School who has been a member of the Connecticut bar for more than 40 years and reportedly until now has had an unblemished record as a trusts and estates attorney. Richard C. Hannan Jr. was arrested…

Jul 23, 2007 10:37 PM CDT

Lawyers Key to WSJ Sale

Will the Wall Street Journal be sold to Rupert Murdoch? The answer may well depend on lawyers from a Boston firm who are trustees with power to control the fate of the company, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Lawyers from Hemenway & Barnes hold two out of three…

Jul 2, 2007 8:26 PM CDT

The Body in Question

Coroners eye Ohio suit demanding they tell families about removal of body parts

Jul 2, 2007 12:33 AM CDT

Attorney Appointed for Dog in Estate Dispute

A four-way custody dispute over a 13-year-old golden retriever became so intense that a Tennessee probate judge appointed an attorney as a guardian ad litem to represent the canine’s best interest. The dog, named Alex, was in need of a new home because of the suicide of his owner, Roy…

May 8, 2007 6:30 PM CDT