The fight over Robin Williams’ estate has been going on for the better part of 10 months. His three children and his widow have been battling in court over some of the late actor’s possessions. One of the areas of contention is that his widow claims she isn’t getting enough money from the reserve trust to keep up the Tiburon home that Williams’ estate plan allowed her to remain in after his death.
The children and his widow are also fighting over his books, bikes and artwork. The late comedian was an avid bicyclist who had a collection of bicycles. The items in questions are worth millions of dollars.
The two sides have been trying to come to an agreement on these matters through mediation. That, however, isn’t how the representative for Williams’ three children says Williams intended the estate to be handled. She notes that Williams named trustees to handle these matters. She notes that those trustees are people who Williams trusted and that he wanted them to handle the distribution of the trust instead of relying on the court or on the beneficiaries.
Williams’ widow’s attorney has asked the court to step in to resolve the matters if the mediation doesn’t get them resolved. The two sides have until Sept. 9 to give the court their final proposed orders for the estate.
The case of Robin Williams’ estate shows how important it is for all estate plans to be clear and concise. It is also a good idea to discuss your plans for your estate with your loved ones so that everyone is prepared for what will happen when you die. This might lessen the chance of a probate battle over your estate.
Source: People, “Robin Williams’ Widow and His Children Are Back in Court to Fight Over His Bicycles, Art Collection and Books,” Jodi Guglielmi, Aug. 28, 2015