Robin Williams Estate Battle Shows How Sentimental Items Can Cause Problems

One of the centerpiece disputes in the Robin Williams estate drama was the tuxedo he wore when he married his third, and final, wife. Understandably, his widow wanted to maintain possession but the estate plan called for all memorabilia (a category the tux seemed to have fallen into) to pass the Williams’ children. While this was not the sole cause of the dispute, the item’s sentimental power embittered an already hot fight and helped to move the parties further apart in the controversy. What this shows is that items  of seemingly minor significance, the tuxedo has little value compared to the millions at stake, can become major sticking points when heirs begin to fight among themselves.

Sometimes items that a person assumed would go to a particular individual will pass to another, especially when it is part of a class of gifts as in this case. As a result, planners should take heed of items the testator knows are important to certain people and make sure that a specific gift is made to the person. It might make putting together the estate plan harder up front, but making sure that items of special significance end up in the hands of the right person could prevent legal challenges down the line by those that feel aggrieved.

See Karen Demasters, Priceless Inheritances, Private Wealth, November 16, 2015.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.