Absolute Trust Talk

You may have heard that Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away on September 29, 2023, and there is pending litigation between the Senator and her deceased husband, Richard Blum, as well as some new litigation regarding her estate. Two petitions have been filed by the Senator’s daughter, Katherine Feinstein. The first petition concerns the joint revocable trust between Senator Feinstein and Richard Blum. Katherine is alleging that the joint trust held between Dianne and Richard was not split, and she is also requesting that the court permit the trustees to sell one of the four properties in trust, the Stinson Beach property. The problem is that Katherine filed using a power of attorney that is no longer valid now that Senator Feinstein has passed away. Her only option is to file a probate so the court can grant her an order naming her the executor for Senator Feinstein’s estate, and only then can the lawsuit continue. In the other lawsuit, Katherine is suing her co-trustee for inaction. This lawsuit will proceed