Category: Estate Disputes

Earlier this year, Gaslowitz Frankel partners Craig Frankel and Robert Port met virtually for an episode of our Wealth Matters radio show with Tim Curtin of the Curtin Law Firm to discuss everything you wanted to know about will administration and the probate process.   During their conversation, Tim, Craig, and Robert provided helpful tips […]

While we always encourage you to regularly revisit your estate planning documents, significant life events like divorce require immediate action. Spouses tend to name each other as fiduciaries in their estate planning documents. Changing these designations as soon as the relationship is over will help to avoid conflict between new spouses and blended families down […]

An estate, in its simplest term, is the sum of a person’s assets – property, investments, legal rights, interests, jewelry, cash, etc. When he or she passes away, what happens to these assets?   The person’s will sets out the decedent’s wishes for how each asset is to be distributed. The will also specifies who […]

Divorce is a complicated legal process with many financial ramifications. With so many immediate life-changing decisions to negotiate with your former spouse, it’s easy to push long-term planning to the back burner. This may lead to future will, trust, and estate disputes, especially if the marriage ends on less than amicable terms.   Here are […]

There are few things in this life as emotionally exhausting as a divorce. Not only are you grieving an ended marriage, but you are immediately tasked with a pile of paperwork to review and sign. Between bank statements, proof of income, mortgage statements, tax returns, retirement account statements, and more, it’s easy to feel like […]

A family office is a wealth management and advisory organization that assumes the daily administration and management of a family’s (or multiple families’) affairs, primarily for high net worth individuals and families with complex financial needs and objectives. Who Needs a Family Office? Families or individuals who require the services of a family office typically […]

A family vacation home is often a place where fond memories are made and where you can truly relax and unwind. But, what happens when it’s time to pass the property to your children and grandchildren? Cynthia Duncan, a shareholder in The Bowden Spratt Law Firm, and Frank Norton Jr., a real estate broker and […]

Estate disputes have the potential to fracture families, friendships, and partnerships. If an agreement cannot be reached amicably, a painful situation may drag on for months or years to come. Fortunately, courtroom litigation is not the only option. Through mediation, all parties have the potential to find a peaceful resolution while saving time, money, energy, […]

One year after “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin’s death, the later singer’s estate remains mired in uncertainty.  Franklin reportedly left three handwritten wills, one of which was discovered in a sofa months after her death. A handwriting expert is now examining those wills to verify their authenticity. Recent court filings also reveal that Franklin did […]

  It is a given that, unless you disclose your estate plan to your family before you die, you will not know the impact your decisions can have on those you leave behind. Many people do not realize that providing for uneven distributions from your estate or trust among their children can stir jealously and […]