This is my running list of significant Florida trusts-and-estates related appellate opinions for 2012. If you think I’ve missed an important case that deserves wider notice, please let me know. As new decisions are published I’ll add them to the list. The cases listed below are hyper-linked to the court’s original opinion and any commentary I may have written about the case.

And for my compilation of selected 2011-12 Probate Court Filing Statistics, click here.

  1. Saewitz v. Saewitz, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 10854 (Fla. 3d DCA January 04, 2012) (tortious interference)
  2. Lubee v. Adams, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 163911 (Fla. 2d DCA January 20, 2012) (Reasonably ascertainable creditor’s late claim)
  3. McDonald v. Johnson, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 246468 (Fla. 2d DCA January 27, 2012) (Elective Share)
  4. Aronson v. Aronson, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 280565 (Fla. 3d DCA February 01, 2012) (Surviving spouse’s homestead rights)
  5. Rainess v. Estate of Machida, 81 So.3d 504 (Fla. 3d DCA February 01, 2012) (litigating IRA beneficiary designations in probate)
  6. Rocca v. Boyansky, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 280752 (Fla. 3d DCA February 01, 2012) (Can’t admit will in face of caveat/objections)
  7. Hodge v. Cichon, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 315846 (Fla. 5th DCA February 03, 2012) (Estate planning malpractice; standing)
  8. Jervis v. Tucker, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 385518 (Fla. 4th DCA February 08, 2012) (Trust contest; settlor adjudicated incapacitated)
  9. Bellamy v. Langfitt, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 385606 (Fla. 3d DCA February 08, 2012) (Trust modification; corporate trustees and accountings)
  10. Zulon v. Peckins, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 385614 (Fla. 3d DCA February 08, 2012) (Removal of Personal Representative; due process)
  11. Wexler v. Rich, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 555482 (Fla. 4th DCA February 22, 2012) (Whether a married couple established tenancy by the entirety bank accounts)
  12. Bowdoin v. Rinnier, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 639005 (Fla. 2d DCA February 29, 2012) (Failure to follow statutory priority for PR appointments)
  13. Kates v. Lifter, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 832802 (Fla. 3d DCA March 14, 2012) (Probate judge’s jurisdictional authority)
  14. Bennett v. Berges, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 832730 (Fla. 4th DCA March 14, 2012) (In camera review of privileged documents non-appealable order)
  15. Pasquale v. Loving, — So.3d —- 2012 WL 933030 (Fla. 4th DCA March 21, 2012) (Can’t contest trust if don’t contest pour over will)
  16. Joseph v. Joseph, 83 So.3d 965 (Fla. 3d DCA March 21, 2012) (partition actions in probate)
  17. Bridgeview Bank Group v. Callaghan, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1020044 (Fla. 4th DCA March 28, 2012) (Real property; estate by the entireties presumption)
  18. The Florida Bar v. Doherty, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1033478 (Fla. March 29, 2012) (Estate planning attorney/financial planner disbarred)
  19. McKeegan v. Ernst, — So.3d —- 2012 WL 1192186 (Fla. 4th DCA April 11, 2012) (Temporary injunctions or “freeze” orders in trust litigation)
  20. Miller v. Miller, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1365064 (Fla. 5th DCA April 20, 2012) (No damages = no trustee surcharge action)
  21. Losh v. McKinley, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1414315 (Fla. 3d DCA April 25, 2012) (Old age does not equal legal incapacity)
  22. Jacobson v. Sklaire, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1414447 (Fla. 3d DCA April 25, 2012) (Trustee’s personal liability in trust litigation)
  23. Lezcano v. Estate of Hidalgo, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1414826 (Fla. 3d DCA April 25, 2012) (Removing PR without evidence of wrongdoing . . . is wrong)
  24. Smith v. DeParry, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1521541 (Fla. 2d DCA May 2, 2012) (Litigating lost will cases)
  25. Taplin v. Taplin, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1605253 (Fla. 3d DCA May 09, 2012) (limitations periods in trust litigation)
  26. Topol v. Polokoff, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1605310 (Fla. 4th DCA May 09, 2012) (Interlocutory divorce order and the resulting changed IRA designation didn’t survive father’s death)
  27. Rothman v. Rothman, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 1698322 (Fla. 4th DCA May 16, 2012) (Forced dismissal under guardianship statute is constitutional)
  28. Astrue v. Capato ex rel. B.N.C., — S.Ct. —- 2012 WL 1810219 (U.S. May 21, 2012) (Posthumously conceived children and SSA survivor benefits)
  29. Beekhuis v. Morris, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 2121258 (Fla. 4th DCA June 13, 2012) (Probate court lacked jurisdiction over trustee)
  30. Glenn v. Roberts, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 2327756 (Fla. 3d DCA June 20, 2012) (Oral wills?)
  31. Langer v. Fels, — So.3d —- 2012 WL 2327921 (Fla. 4th DCA June 20, 2012) (Appellate court fee ruling bars future probate court fee rulings)
  32. United States v. MacIntyre, ___ F.Supp.2d ___, 2012 WL 2403491 (S.D. Tex. June 25, 2012) (Trustee/Executor personal liability for unpaid gift taxes)
  33. Geraci ex rel. Geraci v. Sunstar EMS, — So.3d —- 2012 WL 2401793 (Fla. 2d DCA June 27, 2012) (100 year lease = protected homestead)
  34. Jasser v. Saadeh, 97 So.3d 241 (Fla. 4th DCA July 18, 2012) (legal authority to create a trust)
  35. Morey v. Everbank, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 3000608 (Fla. 1st DCA July 24, 2012) (life insurance proceeds payable to trust were not exempt from probate creditor claims)
  36. Kountze v. Kountze, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 3111681 (Fla. 2d DCA August 01, 2012) (Are trustees entitled to due process prior to being removed?)
  37. Connell v. Connell, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 3101842 (Fla. 2d DCA August 01, 2012) (joint bank accounts & property)
  38. Mitchell v. Mitchell, 94 So.3d 706 (Fla. 4th DCA August 15, 2012) (fee award must state basis for award)
  39. Bonney v. Bonney, 94 So.3d 702 (Fla. 4th DCA August 15, 2012) (improper shifting of non-probate fee award)
  40. In re Guardianship of Ansley, 94 So.3d 711 (Fla. 2d DCA August 17, 2012) (cutting fees without explaining why)
  41. Moriber v. Dreiling, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 3586750 (Fla. 3d DCA August 22, 2012) (inadvertent disclosure & disqualification)
  42. Griffith v. Slade, 95 So.3d 982 (Fla. 2d DCA August 22, 2012) (Service of process; POA litigation)
  43. In re Kesish, 98 So.3d 183 (Fla. 2d DCA September 7, 2012) (reducing fees without evidence)
  44. Miami Children’s Hosp. Found., Inc. v. Estate of Hillman, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 4795648 (Fla. 4th DCA October 10, 2012) (When is a trust agreement ambiguous?)
  45. Shen v. Parkes, 100 So.3d 1189 (Fla. 4th DCA October 31, 2012) (Examining committee reports are hearsay; must have live testimony)
  46. Estate of Bates v. Comm’r, TC Memo. 2012-314 (Nov. 7, 2012) (Estate cannot deduct payments to settle possible beneficiary’s claims to estate)
  47. In re Guardianship of Trost, 100 So.3d 1205 (Fla. 2d DCA November 09, 2012) (Next of kin as standing)
  48. Welch v. Dececco, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 5969623 (Fla. 5th DCA November 30, 2012) (Stock gift)
  49. Brennan v. Honsberger, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 5969617 (Fla. 5th DCA November 30, 2012) (lost wills)
  50. Shuck v. Smalls, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 6027820 (Fla. 4th DCA December 05, 2012) (Attorneys fee sanctions awards)
  51. Jasser v. Saadeh, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 6601383 (Fla. 4th DCA December 19, 2012) (re judicata in trust actions)
  52. Juega v. Davidson, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 6601969 (Fla. 3d DCA December 19, 2012) (Personal jurisdiction over foreign PR)
  53. Platt v. Osteen, — So.3d —-, 2012 WL 6629650 (Fla. 5th DCA December 21, 2012) (right to trial in will contest)