If you make your living in and around our probate courts you’ll find the FY 2016-17 Probate Court Statistical Reference Guide interesting reading. The chart below provides the “cases filed” data for three of our largest circuits/counties: Miami-Dade (11th Cir), …
The 1846 Last Will of John Sutton—What’s Not So New in Will Drafting and Contests
A defining characteristic of inheritance litigation is that the single most important witness — the testator — is dead. And because the testator’s not around anymore to prove to us that he really was acting of his own free will …
Effective Strategies for Cross-Examining an Expert Witness
If you’re litigating an inheritance case, chances are someone’s going to allege the person whose wealth is being disputed either lacked testamentary capacity and/or was the victim of undue influence. In both instances the issue of …
2015-16 Probate Court Filing Statistics
If you make your living in and around our probate courts you’ll find the FY 2015-16 Probate Court Statistical Reference Guide interesting reading. The chart below provides the “cases filed” data for three of our largest circuits/counties: Miami-Dade (11th Cir), …
STEP’s 2017 Caribbean Conference
I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the 2017 STEP Caribbean Conference. I co-presented with Cayman Islands trust litigator Rachael Reynolds. We had fun going through the practical “what ifs” a Caribbean trustee should consider if faced …
Bias on the bench
Want to get better at screening estate cases? Read “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll’s Will: A Tale of Testamentary Capacity”
Knowing when to say “no” is one of the most difficult — and valuable — skill sets any of us ever develops as a lawyer.
“Should I take on this very wealthy but extremely difficult client?” (NO) “Should I represent …
What “Hamilton” can teach trusts and estates lawyers about framing their cases
I’m a huge Hamilton fan. To me the musical represents everything that makes this country great. But why do I feel that way? Contrary to the show’s portrayal of Hamilton as a “scrappy and hungry” man …
“Undue Influence and Financial Exploitation” by Dr. Bennett Blum; thoughts on litigation-avoidance estate planning
Please, please, PLEASE!! Spend a few extra bucks today to avoid tomorrow’s disastrous estate litigation. In the public health world it’s estimated every dollar spent on vaccines returns up to $44 dollars in savings over the long haul. My own …
The 35th Annual Attorney Trust Officer Liaison Conference
I’m going to be one of the speakers at next week’s 35th Annual Attorney Trust Officer Liaison Conference at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach (my all time favorite venue). This year’s organizers have put together a great program. If …