Court Opinion

ID: 3729732
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-07-06 06:57:47.730721+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:20:48.948626
License: Public Domain

I concur in Judge Doan's excellent analysis.  To me, this case exemplifies the problems inherent in having assets pass by sloppily drafted instruments.  The public should realize the danger in attempting to have a substantial portion of their wealth pass to their heirs or beneficiaries by IRA accounts, brokerage accounts, insurance policies, bank-deposit accounts, and the like. Often, as here, these documents are not prepared by a lawyer, not subject to the legal formalities of a will, and not artfully completed.  For someone with the substantial assets involved here, an estate plan would have been advisable, so an attorney could have reviewed all documents such as this, avoiding ambiguity and its attendant costs, and ensuring that the decedent's wishes were followed.