This is my running list of significant Florida trusts-and-estates related appellate opinions for 2016. 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 a copy of the original source document and any commentary I may have written about the case.

And for my compilation of selected 2015-16 Probate Court Filing Statistics, click here.

  1. Robert Rauschenberg Foundation v. Grutman, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 56456 (Fla. 2d DCA January 06, 2016) (court affirms $26.4M in trustee fees)
  2. Dowdy v. Dowdy, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 56785 (Fla. 2d DCA January 06, 2016) (temporary injunctions)
  3. Genauer v. Downey & Downey, P.A., — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 74995 (Fla. 4th DCA January 6, 2016) (trust beneficiaries; right to intervene)
  4. Toomey v. Northern Trust Co., — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 123637 (Fla. 3d DCA January 12, 2016) (dying deponent; discovery order)
  5. Moriber v. Dreiling, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 145968 (Fla. 3d DCA January 13, 2016) (can you sue lying adverse litigant for fraud)
  6. Blackburn v. Boulis, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 231405 (Fla. 4th DCA January 20, 2016) (calculating elective share claims)
  7. Franke v. State, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 358614 (Fla. 4th DCA January 27, 2016) (criminalizing inheritance disputes)
  8. Ebanks v. Ebanks, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 358867 (Fla. 2d DCA January 29, 2016) (Does MSA trump joint ownership)
  9. Gort v. Gort,  — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 403257 (Fla. 4th DCA February 03, 2016) (can you withdraw a guardianship petition)
  10. Parker v. Parker, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 404636 (Fla. 4th DCA February 03, 2016) (estate not indispensable party; inter vivos gift suit)
  11. In re Guardianship of Mount, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 759304 (Fla. 2d DCA February 26, 2016) (trusts and guardianships don’t mix)
  12. Smith v. Smith, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 803625 (Fla. 4th DCA March 2, 2016) (guardianship; marriage annulment)
  13. Vigliani v. Bank of America, N.A., — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 886226 (Fla. 2d DCA March 09, 2016) (trust construction; tax issues)
  14. Casey v. Jensen,  — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 1125180 (Fla. 2d DCA March 23, 2016) (lost wills; 57.105 standard)
  15. Oreal v. Steven Kwartin, P.A., — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 1239756 (Fla. 4th DCA March 30, 2016) (equitable powers vs. probate statutes)
  16. Anderson v. McDonough, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 1386145 (Fla. 2d DCA April 08, 2016) (reversal of $61K fee/cost award)
  17. Anderson v. McDonough, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 1386091 (Fla. 2d DCA April 08, 2016) (reversal of $20K fee award)
  18. Giller v. Giller, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 1658754 (Fla. 3d DCA April 27, 2016) (deeding real estate to trust)
  19. Richard v. Richard,  — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 2340787 (Fla. 3d DCA May 04, 2016) (notice to creditors; relation back doctrine)
  20. Woodward v. Woodward, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 2342152 (Fla. 4th DCA May 04, 2016) (trust action; res judicata; laches)
  21. Northern Trust Co. v. Shaw, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 3127398 (Fla. 2d DCA June 3, 2016) (MSA construction; probate creditor claim)
  22. Flores v. Lopez,  — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 3181982 (Fla. 3d DCA June 08, 2016) (divorce; incapacitated ward)
  23. Bernal v. Marin, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 3265760 (Fla. 3d DCA June 15, 2016) (revocation of revocable trust)
  24. United Bank v. Estate of Frazee, — So.3d —-,  2016 WL 3745512 (Fla. 4th DCA July 13, 2016) (e-filing; creditor deadlines)
  25. Steele v. Brown, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 3880719 (Fla. 1st DCA July 18, 2016) (finality of probate orders)
  26. Kozel v. Kozel, 2016 WL 416356 (M.D. Fla. August 4, 2016) (trustees; diversity jurisdiction)
  27. Hampton v. Estate of Allen, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 4158716 (Fla. 5th DCA August 05, 2016) (entitlement to fees; benefiting estate)
  28. In re Guardianship of Beck, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 4204062 (Fla. 2d DCA August 10, 2016) (fees; emergency temporary guardian)
  29. Abromats v. Abromats, 2016 WL 4366480 (S.D. Fla. August 16, 2016) (long-arm jurisdiction; trust litigation)
  30. Allen v. Montalvan, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 4547993 (Fla. 4th DCA Aug. 31, 2016) (GALs; settling minor’s claims)
  31. Rose v. Sonson,  — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 4651350 (Fla. 3d DCA September 07, 2016) (paternity actions; intestate heirs)
  32. Linde v. Linde, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 4651336 (Fla. 3d DCA September 07, 2016) (guardianship; excluding prior medical evidence)
  33. Bivins v. Rogers, — F.Supp.3d —-, 2016 WL 4702682 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 07, 2016) (attorney/CPA privilege claims)
  34. In re: Nancy Jane Cole, Slip Copy, 2016 WL 5173215 (Bkrtcy. M.D.Fla., September 20, 2016) (homestead; tie goes to the runner)
  35. United States v. Spoor Trustee of Louise Paxton Gallagher Revocable Trust, — F.3d —-,  2016 WL 5750986 (11th Cir. October 04, 2016) (PR fees; estate tax lien priority)
  36. Henry v. Jones, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 6036691 (Fla. 2d DCA October 14, 2016) (tortious interference; jury verdict contrary to evidence)
  37. Hilgendorf v. Estate of Coleman, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 6248955 (Fla. 4th DCA October 26, 2016) (Revocable trust; duty to remaindermen)
  38. Vasallo v. Bean, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 6249157 (Fla. 3d DCA October 26, 2016) (estate planning, post mortem attorney-client privilege)
  39. Stephenson v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 2016 WL 6568085 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 4, 2016) (slayer statute; self defense; life insurance)
  40. In re Guardianship of Beck, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 6834145 (Fla. 2d DCA November 18, 2016) (fees; emergency temporary guardian)
  41. Turkish v. Brody, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 6992203 (Fla. 3d DCA November 30, 2016) (trust litigation; settlement agreements; limitations notices)
  42. Nelson v. Nelson, — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 7322546 (Fla. 2d DCA December 16, 2016) (irrevocable trusts; divorce proceedings)