All articles tagged with #probate court
Nick Reiner, awaiting trial for the December killings of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, is in probate court seeking $558,000 from his trust to fund his defense. Trustees say the funds can’t be disbursed amid incomplete records and due diligence, and California’s slayer statute further complicates access for killers. The trust has changed managers, and while a murder trial date hasn’t been set, September hearings are planned.
A probate judge sustained Paris Jackson’s challenge to about $625,000 in bonuses paid to Michael Jackson’s estate lawyers in 2018, ordering the funds returned and imposing tighter controls on the estate’s spending, including no bonus payments without written consent of all beneficiaries or a court order and a 70/30 split on ongoing fees (70% payable, 30% held for approval). The ruling also requires six years of fee petitions (2019–2024) on a court schedule, as the estate undergoes audits and scrutiny over costs tied to the Michael biopic and other expenditures. Paris’s camp calls the decision a major win for transparency and family governance of the legacy.
Paris Jackson filed a scathing pre-hearing brief accusing estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain of self-interested gifts and inflated fee payouts, intensifying the ongoing Michael Jackson estate battle ahead of a Century City probate hearing, with the executors defending their fiduciary duties.
A sitting Michigan judge, Andrea Bradley-Baskin of the 36th District Court, and three Detroit-area residents were indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and related charges for allegedly siphoning hundreds of thousands from wards’ estates through Guardian and Associates and related entities. Alleged schemes included using about $70,000 to buy a stake in a bar, diverting roughly $203,000 from a ward’s settlement, and a two-year lease on a Ford Expedition for the judge, with money laundering counts and a false-statement charge also tied to Bradley-Baskin. FBI and U.S. Attorney officials described the case as fiduciary abuse of vulnerable individuals in probate matters.
Crystal Sorey, the mother of Harmony Montgomery, is seeking a legal declaration of her daughter's death in probate court as she plans to sue the state of New Hampshire for the wrongful death of her 5-year-old daughter. Harmony's father, Adam Montgomery, was convicted of second-degree murder in her death, and Sorey's attorney used this conviction as proof that Harmony is no longer alive. Sorey emphasized that finding Harmony remains her top priority and is working with a nonprofit organization to organize a community search.
Aretha Franklin's estate is going to trial in probate court as her handwritten wills, found eight months after her death, have sparked intense debate over her last wishes regarding her money and property.
A trial is set to begin to determine whether one of two handwritten documents found in the home of the late singer Aretha Franklin should be recognized as her true will. Franklin's sons have been in a legal battle over the conflicting documents, with one found under a couch cushion and the other in a locked cabinet. The trial will determine which document best reflects Franklin's wishes and could result in the distribution of her remaining fortune, property, and music rights. The jury may also decide that neither document is a legitimate will, reverting to an even division of the estate among her children based on Michigan law.
California-based estate planning and asset protection lawyer, Brittany Cohen, advises against leaving anything to your children when you die, as it can lead to serious financial and legal issues. Instead, she recommends creating a living trust and making your children beneficiaries. Cohen also advises against adding your children's names to the deed of your primary residence and going through probate court. She suggests seeking advice from an estate lawyer or financial planner to protect your assets and set your loved ones up for success.