Robin Williams' wife, children fight over his estate

[Lite Beer]

Robin Williams' wife, children fight over his estate
SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Robin Williams' children and wife have gone to court in a fight over the late comedian's estate.

In papers filed in December in San Francisco Superior Court, Williams' wife, Susan, says some of the late actor's personal items were taken without her permission and asks the court to exclude the contents of the Tiburon home that she shared with Williams from the jewelry, memorabilia and other items Williams said the children should have.

Williams died at his Tiburon home in August. The coroner ruled his death a suicide that resulted from asphyxia caused by hanging.

The children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody, counter that Susan Williams is "adding insult to a terrible injury" by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them of the late actor's clothing and other personal items.

"The Williams' children are heartbroken that Petitioner, Mr. Williams' wife of less than three years, has acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate," attorneys for the children said in court papers.

James Wagstaffe, an attorney for Susan Williams, said Monday his client was only seeking guidance from the court about the meaning of certain terms in the trust.

"This is not ugly," he said. "I would not say this is anticipated to be a highly contested proceeding."

An attorney for the children, Allan Mayer, declined to comment.

Susan Williams has said the actor and comedian was struggling with depression, anxiety and a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Williams had publicly acknowledged periodic struggles with substance abuse, and he had entered a substance abuse program shortly before his death. According to the coroner's report, his wife told an investigator that Williams did not go there because of recent drug or alcohol abuse, but rather to reaffirm the principles of his rehabilitation.

Williams' trust granted his children his memorabilia and awards in the entertainment industry and some other specific personal items, according to court documents. Susan Williams says that because he wanted her to continue to live at the Tiburon home, it makes sense that he intended only for his children to have the specific personal items he delineated that were kept at another home he owned in Napa.

"Any other interpretation would lead to Mrs. Williams' home being stripped while Mrs. Williams still lives there," her attorneys wrote.

The children dispute that interpretation, saying there were no specific limits on the location of those items.

The two sides also disagree over items put in storage, watches Williams owned and his memorabilia.

-- (c) Associated Press 2014-02-03

[rasmus5150]

Wife of only 3 years seems like a typical Gold digger.

[pgrahmm]

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) the Tiburon house could be worth more...I think his ex was a filipina that was with him 20 years or so....

[NeverSure]

"The children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody, counter that Susan Williams is "adding insult to a terrible injury" by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them..."

Williams had a trust, not a will. This is a great idea but I wonder who the successor trustee is?

A trust, like a corporation, is a person in the eyes of the law. When the president of a corporation or the trustee of a trust dies, neither the corporation nor the trust dies, and either continues on.

Williams would have created a trust and funded it with everything he owned. He would have been the "trustor" who formed it, the "grantor" who titled everything he owned to it, and the "trustee" who had control of it. He didn't lose control during his lifetime because he could amend the trust, buy and sell assets of the trust, or even close the trust. He would have designate a "successor trustee" who would take over management of the trust if he couldn't manage it.

Anyone who goes to court to try to override the terms of the trust will lose. This short term wife is going to lose. The trust doesn't have to designate where the items are.

For more clarification, I have a trust. My vehicles, home, bank accounts etc. are all in the name of the trust. I am the trustee so I sign checks and add "trustee" after my signature. On the checks the name is printed as a trust, naming it. Within the body of the trust is a delineation of who gets what when I die. The successor trustee is to sign over anything I leave to the person or charity I stated it was to be left to. It all belongs to the trust so the trustee and sign it over just signing as trustee.

This is a non-starter for this recent wife. I'll bet the court makes her pay everyone's attorney fees and court costs too.

[ChoakMyDee]

I never knew what a "trustee" was before. Thanks.

[englishoak]

"The children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody, counter that Susan Williams is "adding insult to a terrible injury" by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them..."

Williams had a trust, not a will. This is a great idea but I wonder who the successor trustee is?

A trust, like a corporation, is a person in the eyes of the law. When the president of a corporation or the trustee of a trust dies, neither the corporation nor the trust dies, and either continues on.

Williams would have created a trust and funded it with everything he owned. He would have been the "trustor" who formed it, the "grantor" who titled everything he owned to it, and the "trustee" who had control of it. He didn't lose control during his lifetime because he could amend the trust, buy and sell assets of the trust, or even close the trust. He would have designate a "successor trustee" who would take over management of the trust if he couldn't manage it.

Anyone who goes to court to try to override the terms of the trust will lose. This short term wife is going to lose. The trust doesn't have to designate where the items are.

For more clarification, I have a trust. My vehicles, home, bank accounts etc. are all in the name of the trust. I am the trustee so I sign checks and add "trustee" after my signature. On the checks the name is printed as a trust, naming it. Within the body of the trust is a delineation of who gets what when I die. The successor trustee is to sign over anything I leave to the person or charity I stated it was to be left to. It all belongs to the trust so the trustee and sign it over just signing as trustee.

This is a non-starter for this recent wife. I'll bet the court makes her pay everyone's attorney fees and court costs too.

Excellent post and breakdown m8

You learn something everyday,

cheers

[ratcatcher]

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) the Tiburon house could be worth more...I think his ex was a filipina that was with him 20 years or so....

Williams' wives

Spouse: Susan Schneider (m. 2011–2014), American

Marsha Garces (m. 1989–2010), American

Valerie Velardi (m. 1978–1988) American.

No sign of a Filipino.

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) 640 acres.

[bkk_mike]

Wife of only 3 years seems like a typical Gold digger.

I thought it was the previous wife and her lawyers in the divorce settlement that had made him so unhappy because he had to take on work that he would have passed on, in order to make the alimony payments...

That was supposedly one of the causes of his suicide (although I read that in the UK press - so I suppose it's not impossible that it could have been totally made up).

[Estrada]

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) the Tiburon house could be worth more...I think his ex was a filipina that was with him 20 years or so....

Williams' wives

Spouse: Susan Schneider (m. 2011–2014), American

Marsha Garces (m. 1989–2010), American

Valerie Velardi (m. 1978–1988) American.

No sign of a Filipino.

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) 640 acres.

Marsha Garces father was a Filipeno.

[NeverSure]

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) the Tiburon house could be worth more...I think his ex was a filipina that was with him 20 years or so....

Williams' wives

Spouse: Susan Schneider (m. 2011–2014), American

Marsha Garces (m. 1989–2010), American

Valerie Velardi (m. 1978–1988) American.

No sign of a Filipino.

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) 640 acres.

Land in Napa Valley is expensive. It's just N. of San Francisco, across the bridge, and is probably the best wine growing area in the US. It's a rich person's playground.

640 acres is a square mile.

[maidee]

money money money ...

[ALFREDO]

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) the Tiburon house could be worth more...I think his ex was a filipina that was with him 20 years or so....

Williams' wives

Spouse: Susan Schneider (m. 2011–2014), American

Marsha Garces (m. 1989–2010), American

Valerie Velardi (m. 1978–1988) American.

No sign of a Filipino.

Depending on the amount of land in Napa (winery?) 640 acres.

Marsha Garces father was a Filipeno.

You beat me.

I read that name and thought, that could be the Philippine at least half blood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsha_Garces_Williams

"Her father, Leon Garces, was a Filipino born in Ubay, Bohol who moved to the United States in 1929.^[7][8] He later served in the United States Navy during World War II.^[7][9]Her mother, Ina Rachel Mattila,^[7] was Finnish."