With a narrative that was sufficiently compelling to inspire a Hollywood movie, Melvin Dummar has returned and launched yet another legal challenge designed to obtain a portion of the estate of the late Howard Hughes. Dummar’s claim to a portion of the Hughes estate rests on his tale of being a Good Samaritan when he rescued a wandering Hughes from the Nevada desert in 1967. Dummar, at the time a Utah service station owner, claimed that he picked up Howard Hughes along a desolate desert … [Read more...] about The Never Ending Will Contest
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The Latest Fairy Tale: the Return of the Land Grant
With the ever worsening foreclosure crisis in California, confidence artists have invoked an age-old government program—the land grant—to swindle victims out of their homes. In this article, the Los Angeles Times reported that California and federal authorities recently shut down a San Diego-based company that was allegedly convincing homeowners to pay thousands of dollars to obtain foreclosure protection via the use of a land grant. Allegedly, the victims were told that by transferring their … [Read more...] about The Latest Fairy Tale: the Return of the Land Grant
The LifeLock Controversy: Is There No Protection Against Identity Theft?
While elder abuse can take many forms, one method of elder abuse is identity theft. A common form of identity theft is where someone obtains your private confidential information and then uses it to obtain credit accounts. This pernicious problem was humorously illustrated in a series of television commercials from Citibank, including this one. Unfortunately, the problem of identity theft has become so prevalent that according to this article, a National Public Radio station in Madison, … [Read more...] about The LifeLock Controversy: Is There No Protection Against Identity Theft?
Can I Avoid Probate by Placing My Child on Title to my Assets?
In California, there are some very good reasons for avoiding the probate administration process. My three favorite reasons include (i) the cost; (ii) the time involved; and (iii) the public nature of the proceedings. For most estates, probate administration costs generally run from four to eight percent of the gross value of the estate and frequently take at least eight months to complete. To avoid these problems, some individuals engaged in what I affectionately refer to as ‘backyard’ estate … [Read more...] about Can I Avoid Probate by Placing My Child on Title to my Assets?
The Sad Case of Elder Abuse
Attorney Schomer featured in a February 11, 2004 article in The Malibu Times concerning elder abuse. A copy of the article is featured here. … [Read more...] about The Sad Case of Elder Abuse
June 15th is Elder Abuse Awareness Day!
Although elder abuse was first recognized in the 1970s as a problem in the United States, it is disappointing to see that it is still not a well-know public health issue, especially considering the magnitude of the problem. According to this report prepared for Congress, during 1996 there were 500,000 incidents of elder abuse in the United States. However, this same report asserts that elder abuse claims were vastly underreported, with only 16% of the incidents being reported to law enforcement … [Read more...] about June 15th is Elder Abuse Awareness Day!
Solo Attorney Wins $4.7 Million Verdict
Attorney Schomer is interviewed by blogging pioneer Carolyn Elefant of attorney blog My Shingle about his $4.7 million dollar verdict for his client, a grandmother who'd been left homeless after being defrauded of her Beverly Hills home by her former attorney. … [Read more...] about Solo Attorney Wins $4.7 Million Verdict
A Matter of Trust: Sisters Divided Over Aunt’s New Estate Plan
Attorney Schomer was a featured expert on the nationally syndicated Dr. Phil Show. The episode concerned allegations of manipulation of a family member to obtain an inheritance. The guests included four nieces, Pat, Linda, Barbara and Carol, who were beneficiaries under their Aunt Virginia’s estate plan. Under Aunt Virginia’s original estate plan, three of the nieces were to receive $10,000 each with the large balance designated for the youngest sister Carol. In the last years of her life, … [Read more...] about A Matter of Trust: Sisters Divided Over Aunt’s New Estate Plan
Treated Like a Dog?
You may remember the surprising news that the late Leona Helmsley left a $12 million bequest in her will for her Maltese dog named Trouble. With the large bequest, Helmsley’s will provided that Trouble would continue to enjoy the same opulent life even after Helmsley’s passing. In addition to the money, Helmsely’s will also provided that Trouble would be buried next to Helmsley in the family mausoleum. Helmsely’s will also set aside an additional $3 million for cleaning and maintenance of the … [Read more...] about Treated Like a Dog?
New Ebay-Like Site Helps With Estate Administration
One of the challenges in both estate planning and in post-death administration is personal property. During a lifetime, many individuals accumulate vast quantities of personal property including but not limited to jewelry, china, furniture, textiles, antiques, and the like. Few people have the stamina to go through and catalog all of their possessions or make decisions about which if their heirs, if any, should receive each item. Moreover, circumstances change and items that were once valuable … [Read more...] about New Ebay-Like Site Helps With Estate Administration
