An unintended change in law that temporarily required will challenges to be filed within the probate case was reversed under a bill that took effect July 1 and tweaked several provisions of Indiana’s Probate Code.
In an increasingly digital world, the legal ritual of a person signing a last will and testament before two witnesses who attest to the signer’s capacity may be evolving. Lawmakers next year will consider a proposal to allow electronic signatures on wills and other trust and estate documents.
Settling a deceased loved one’s affairs is never easy, but when the person is young or has not prepared a will or other estate planning documents, legal experts say the process becomes increasingly complicated.
A recent one-day clinic allowed volunteer attorneys, paralegals and administrative staff to prepare 130 legal documents for first responders.
The purported ex-wife of a now-deceased man cannot proceed with her election against the man’s will because the couple failed to resolve the issue of the legal status of their marriage for more than 40 years, thus barring her claim under the doctrine of laches, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Ruling on a matter of first impression Friday, the Indiana Court of Appeals found that family members may enter into an enforceable settlement agreement regarding the distribution of assets from an estate before the testator’s death.
The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law will begin offering free estate planning document preparation services this year to IU employees, students and parents who meet certain economic requirements.
The Michigan Supreme Court is digging deeper into the case of a lawyer and his sons who inherited millions of dollars from a client.
Amid all of the anticipation and excitement surrounding new unions and new babies, estate planning often falls by the wayside. Nevertheless, newlyweds and new parents are wise to make their estate planning goals a priority.
The final stop for a last will and testament in the e-filing era depends on where in Indiana an estate is opened and what the local probate court demands, at least for now.
Indiana University Maurer School of Law is teaming up with IU’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel to provide will preparation services to university employees, students and parents at no charge.
The children of deceased Celadon Group Inc. co-founder Steve Russell claim his second wife engineered changes to his will while he suffered from dementia, boosting the amount she would immediately inherit from his $31 million estate at their expense.
The apparent intestate death of Prince Rogers Nelson, who left an estate widely reported to be worth up to $300 million, prompted several Indiana lawyers to blog about their connection to his music and also use the opportunity to educate people about what happens when someone dies without a will or estate plan.
When he was alive, Prince made hundreds of millions of dollars — for record companies, concert venues and others. That much is certain. What's less clear is how much he left behind and who'll come forward to claim it.
Supporters were successful this year in getting the Statehouse to approve legislation that re-establishes the Probate Code Study Commission, but they’re still awaiting the governor’s signature.
Since the Probate Code Study Commission was eliminated as part of a 2014 law that reduced the number of interim study committees, certain legislators and attorneys have mounted an effort to get the commission reinstated.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way to do it yourself with Internet services such as LegalZoom, Nolo and Rocket Lawyer. But attorneys say relying on online form providers for long-term financial and estate planning may not be the wisest investment.
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a man’s will contest action involving his siblings, but for a different reason than the trial court.
In a case in which the trial court awarded a woman and her children more than $170,000 in attorney fees even though two of the three claims raised were without just cause or good faith, the Indiana Court of Appeals specified the approach judges should follow when a party seeks attorney fees pursuant to I.C. 29-1-10-14.
An heir was successful in asserting he had a claim to his father’s estate but has more work to convince the courts he filed his claim in a timely manner.