Appellate Law

This Took Me By Surprise

By Greg May

When an appeal from a probate order starts by telling you that the intestate’s daughter, girlfriend of 12 years, and estranged wife all claimed portions of the estate, I’m betting most people will suspect that the opinion will be about a dispute between the girlfriend and the wife.  If the case is Estate of Bonanno, case no. B200340 (2d Dist. July 22, 2008), though, you’d be wrong.

Turns out the dispute here is between the wife and daughter, and its not even about property per se.  It’s about an order obtained by the wife to have her share of the estate (determined in a settlement among the three) pass to her without administration, which reduced the administration fees to the daughter.

That was two surprises for me in as many paragraphs!

Full post as published by The California Blog of Appeal on July 23, 2008 (boomark / email).