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Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

Cheaters Never Prosper: Tortious Interference with Inheritance in California

May 28, 2013/2 Comments/in Estate Planning /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

Personal injury, otherwise known as “tort,” claims are typically successful only if the complaining individual has suffered an injury-in-fact. Essentially this means that courts will only award damages to persons who have truly been injured—be it physically, financially or, in rare cases, psychologically. In tort law, if you think you will suffer an injury next week an attorney will tell you to call them after you suffer your misfortune, but not before. In many ways this can be unfair, but this policy keeps the courts from being overrun with people suing for injuries that could/might/maybe/we think will happen and never do.

California’s policy against litigating future harm may be shifting, however. In Beckwith v. Dahl, an Orange County Court of Appeal recently determined that California courts can and will recognize the claim of Intentional Interference with an Expected Inheritance (IIEI). In order to recover damages, the claiming party has to prove five specific things:

  1. That there was an expectancy of an inheritance,
  2. There was reasonably certain proof that the will or trust that would benefit the claimant would have been in effect when the giver died if there had not been an interference,
  3. That the inter-meddling third party knew that the claimant expected the inheritance and deliberately interfered,
  4. That the third party’s interference was “independently tortious” (fraud is a good example), and
  5. Finally, that the claimant was damaged by the third party’s interference.

Although the elements look simple enough, the damaged party will recover if, and only if, each and every element is satisfied. Additionally, the jury has to be convinced that these elements exist and the jury must find that the deceased property owner didn’t change his mind at the last minute. Parties who have suffered or feel cheated out of their inheritance should rejoice that they have a new avenue to get what they rightfully deserve.

However, it should be noted that a party cannot successfully file a claim for IIEI in civil court if their issue could be remedied at probate court. This issue, like most estate planning issues, can be complicated and difficult to address without the aid of an attorney. If you have questions about your rights in an estate planning matter, the attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri have years of experience handling complex estate planning matters including wills and living trusts. Or, if you are interested in developing your own estate plan or reviewing a currently-existing estate plan, contact the attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri for further information or to set up a free consultation.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results.  While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice.  Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

 

*See Beckwith v. Dahl (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 1039.

https://www.lpeplaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/LPEP_PC.png 0 0 Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri https://www.lpeplaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/LPEP_PC.png Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri2013-05-28 14:55:492013-05-28 14:55:49Cheaters Never Prosper: Tortious Interference with Inheritance in California
Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

Covering the Bases: How to Plan for Unplanned Death

May 22, 2013/0 Comments/in Estate Planning /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

The wonderful world of estate planning can be strange and morbid at times. For example, when making a will or creating a trust, you might pose questions to yourself such as, “what if our plane goes down on our next family trip to Hawaii and there are no survivors – who should get our home and my stock options, then?” Considering such possibilities does not make you sick or twisted, it actually means you are prudent with your property. It is hard to discuss the unfathomable, but it is definitely smart to have a plan.

Creating a will or trust isn’t necessarily difficult, but potential complications arise when you start to consider what would happen if the person you intended to leave your wealth to dies before, or at the same time as, you. Having a will or a detailed trust is a great first step when it comes to protecting your life’s work and resulting assets. Nonetheless, it is important that the language of your trust or will accommodates a wide array of possible outcomes in regard to your estate.

Without question, you should select a secondary beneficiary for your will or any trusts you create. Additionally, you may want to discuss the inclusion of a ‘simultaneous death’ provision or determine what is to come of your estate if your primary beneficiary dies within thirty days after you – do you still want that individual’s estate to receive his share? Maybe you’d prefer to donate your property to charity if the beneficiary of your choice is unable to accept your estate. There are numerous contingencies that should be addressed in your estate planning documents.

It can be difficult to address complicated issues if you create a will or trust without the aid of an attorney. An experienced estate planning attorney can help you cover your bases, prepare for the unthinkable, and insulate your family from conflict by making your estate easy to settle. The attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri have years of experience handling complex estate planning matters including wills and living trusts. If you are interested in developing an estate plan or reviewing your current estate plan, contact the estate planning attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri for further information or to set up a free consultation.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results.  While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice.  Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

https://www.lpeplaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/LPEP_PC.png 0 0 Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri https://www.lpeplaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/LPEP_PC.png Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri2013-05-22 15:36:502013-05-22 15:36:50Covering the Bases: How to Plan for Unplanned Death

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Located in San Jose, Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri handles matters for clients in northern California, especially San Jose and Silicon Valley. Our services are available to anyone within the following counties: Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito. For a full listing of areas where we practice, please click here.

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