After the passing of Robin Williams, it seemed that the man’s wife and his children — who come from previous marriages — would not have to fight in court over his estate since he had done such a good job planning out what was to be done with his possessions. He and his wife had a prenuptial agreement, and his estate plan is in line with that agreement.
Basically, it gives his wife the home that they had in Tiburon, and it even says that a trust must be made so that the expenses of the home are financially covered. Other properties in Napa Valley are then given to the children, along with a lot of Williams’ personal memorabilia and effects.
However, for some reason, his widow has decided to start a court case. She wants to keep all of the things in the house, despite the estate plan saying that some of it goes to the children. She also wants the court to decide how large her trust should be.
What is curious about this development is that it has happened at all. Some of the things that she is asking for are already supposed to be done; for example, a legal team is already supposed to determine what the trust has to cover and then they will set it up to pay for the house. By making it into a court case, Williams’ widow may get the same end result, but everything will be more public.
To avoid things like this in Texas, it is very important to create an estate plan and to be very specific so that there is no room for debate.
Source: Forbes, “Robin Williams’ Widow Starts A Court Battle — But Why?” Danielle and Andy Mayoras, Feb. 03, 2015
