This is my running list of significant Florida trusts-and-estates related appellate opinions for 2021. 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. Click here for prior years.
- Northern Trust Company v. Abbott, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 45668 (Fla. 2d DCA January 06, 2021) (creditor claims; probate division vs. civil division)
- Ammeen v. Sjogren, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 79548 (Fla. 1st DCA January 11, 2021) (permissible appointees vs. trust beneficiaries)
- Parisi v. Kingston, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 113379 (Fla. 3d DCA January 13, 2021) (long arm jurisdiction in probate)
- Buechel v. Shim, — So.3d —- 2021 WL 298161 (Fla. 5th DCA January 29, 2021) (in personam jurisdiction and foreign property)
- Hannibal v. Navarro, — So.3d —- 2021 WL 357951 (Fla. 3d DCA February 03, 2021) (evidentiary burden shifting; undue influence)
- White v. Marks, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 1216210 (Fla. 5th DCA April 01, 2021) (contested paternity; written acknowledgment)
- Finlaw v. Finlaw, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 1431125 (Fla. 2d DCA April 16, 2021) (partnership agreement vs. will)
- Sirgutz v. Sirgutz, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 1657568 (Fla. 4th DCA April 28, 2021) (marital agreement in probate)
- Fisher v. PNC Bank, N.A., — F.4th —-, 2021 WL 2658721 (11th Cir. June 29, 2021) (federal jurisdiction; probate exception)
- In re Romagnoli, — B.R. —, 2021 WL 2762812 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. June 30, 2021) (TBE property in joint revocable trusts)
- Tsuji v. Fleet, 326 So.3d 143 (Fla. 1st DCA August 04, 2021) (non-claim statute; respondeat superior doctrine)
- Williams-Paris v. Joseph, — So.3d —- 2021 WL 3890371 (Fla. 4th DCA September 01, 2021) (prenuptial agreement; probate; choice of law)
- Boyles v. Jimenez, — So.3d —- 2021 WL 4073391 (Fla. 4th DCA September 08, 2021) (undue influence; lifetime revocation of revocable trust)
- In re: Estate of Ramos, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 4561365 (Fla. 3d DCA October 06, 2021) (spousal homestead deed presumed TBE)
- Townsend v. Mansfield, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 4582120 (Fla. 1st DCA October 06, 2021) (appellate fees in probate)
- Swiss v. Flanagan, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 4762509 (Fla. 3d DCA October 13, 2021) (undue influence; invalid will)
- Futch v. Haney, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 4760131 (Fla. 2d DCA October 13, 2021) (elective share petition; tolling filing deadline)
- Bivins v. Douglas, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 4888632 (Fla. 3d DCA October 20, 2021) (testamentary paternity claims)
- Fernandez v. Seaboard Marine, Ltd., Slip Copy, 2021 WL 4902506 (United States District Court, S.D. Florida, October 21, 2021) (Helms–Burton Act claims)
- Duff-Esformes v. Mukamal, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 5499686 (Fla. 3d DCA November 24, 2021) (look-through rule; same PR and Trustee)
- Namon v. Elder, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 5499727 (Fla. 3d DCA November 24, 2021) (lifetime gift vs. non-claim statute)
- Ramos v. Halpern, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 5617440 (Fla. 3d DCA December 01, 2021) (unenforceable penalty provision)
- Boyles v. Jimenez, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 5822138 (Fla. 4th DCA December 08, 2021) (undue influence; lifetime revocation of revocable trust)
- In re: Guardianship of Aaron Ash, — So.3d —-, 2021 WL 5913084 (Fla. 3d DCA December 15, 2020) (parties are bound by the allegations in their pleadings)
- Tendler v. Johnson, 332 So.3d 521 2021 WL 6057948 (Fla. 4th DCA December 22, 2021) (filing deadline; will contest v. trust construction)
- Bronstein v. Bronstein, 332 So.3d 510, 2021 WL 6057843 (Fla. 4th DCA December 22, 2021) (trustee fees in trust litigation)