An entire $3 million estate of a Texas doctor was awarded to his ex-wife in a recent court ruling. Mrs. Denise Reichert took the oath of independent executrix of the will and estate of Dr. Oscar Reichert.
The judge who presided over the hearing dismissed the contest of will filed by Brandi Reichert, who is the doctor's oldest daughter from his first marriage.
However, Brandi failed to show up in court.
We all love our pets! Leslie Ann Mandel really loved her 32 cockatiels, and her will included a mention of each and every one of her precious pets.
Mandel even put $100,000 into a trust for their care and left detailed instructions about how to care for them. She appointed her stepson as the trustee and he is now responsible for the birds.
The Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog wrote about this story in a recent article,"Deceased Millionaire Leaves $100,000 To A Pet Trust For Her 32 Cockatiels."
Divorce lawyers know that some of the most intense fights between a couple can erupt over the most insignificant item —- a matchbook collection or a set of souvenir spoons from family vacations.
The stuff being fought over serves as a proxy because the parties are angry with each other and want to fight over something. The same thing happens in estate law when heirs do not get along and resent each other. The heirs will fight over those very same inexpensive souvenir spoons.
However, in estate law these battles do not make it to court as often as they do in divorce law because divorcing couples are already in court. Most of the time heirs feuding over junk find it cost prohibitive to hire attorneys. Robin Williams' estate might be an exception.
Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog