• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • Areas We Serve
      • Riverside County
        • Banning
        • Corona
        • Eastvale
        • Hemet
        • Menifee
        • Moreno Valley
        • Murrieta
        • Norco
        • Perris
        • Sun City
      • San Bernardino County
      • Orange County
      • Los Angeles County
      • San Diego County
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Elder Law
    • Conservatorships
    • Crisis Planning
    • Estate Planning for the Elderly and Chronically Ill
    • Planning for Long Term Medi-Cal
    • Planning for Veteran’s Aid and Attendance
  • Estate Planning
    • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Asset Protection Lawyer
      • Business Succession Planning
      • California Gun Trust
      • Charitable Planning & Philanthropy
      • Trustee Services
    • Estate Planning Service
    • LGBTQ+ Estate Planning
    • Married Couples Estate Planning
    • Persons with Large Retirement Accounts
    • Pet Planning
    • Special Needs Children
    • Special Needs Trusts
    • Trust Administration
    • Unmarried Couples Estate Planning
    • Unmarried Individuals Estate Planning
  • Probate
  • Will & Trust Contests
    • Conservatorship Contests
    • Probate Litigation
    • Tax Controversy and Tax Planning
    • Trust Litigation
    • Will Contests
  • Resources
    • Riverside, California Elder Law Resources
    • Docubank
    • Downloadable Handbooks
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law Resources
    • Estate Planning, Elder Law and Tax Law Articles
    • Free Report – Able Account or Special Needs Trust
    • Free Report -Constructing Your Revocable Trust
    • Probate and Trust Administration
      • Bereavement Resources
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Useful Estate Planning, Elder Law and Tax Links
    • Webinars
  • Ask Dennis
  • Webinars
    • Webinar Recordings
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Inland Empire Estate Planning Attorneys

Sandoval Legacy Group, a division of Holstrom, Block & Parke, a Professional Law Corporation

Connect with us today(855) 513-9876

Text Size A A A
LIVE WEBINARS REGISTER TODAY>>
Home » Battle Over Astor Will Settles

Battle Over Astor Will Settles

April 27, 2013will contest

brooke astorThe estate of Brooke Astor, the renowned philanthropist who died at age 105, was recently settled. It had been entangled in litigation for many years involving her son, Anthony Marshall, and his estate planning attorney, Francis X. Morrissey. Marshall and Morrissey convinced Astor, after she had been diagnosed with dementia, to execute a number of codicils to her Will, giving control of her $200 million estate to Marshall. Marshall intended to divert the funds that were intended to go to various charities after his death to his younger wife, who Astor reportedly detested.

Marshall’s son, Philip, filed for guardianship of his grandmother (known as a conservatorship in California), and this ultimately led to uncovering the financial elder abuse being perpetrated by Marshall and Morrissey. Marshall and Morrissey were found guilty in a criminal trial of grand larceny, fraud and other related charges. Morrissey is currently serving out his sentence, but Marshall, age 87, remains free pending the appeal of his criminal conviction.

The criminal trial did not decide what was to happen to Astor’s wealth. The validity of the Wills and codicils was questionable, due to questions of Astor’s capacity and susceptibility to undue influence. Negotiations between Marshall, Astor’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, dozens of charities, and the New York Attorney General’s office have resulted in a settlement of years of battling in the Probate Court.

The settlement finds that Astor’s 2002 Will is valid, but not any of the documents that were signed after that date. Under the 2002 Will, Marshall would have received close to $70 million. The settlement provides that he is to receive $14.5 million, but he has over $11.6 million in outstanding judgments against him for legal fees. This means he will end up with less than $3 million. Shows you what greed can do to you.

Each of the grandchildren will receive $1 million and the great-grandchildren will each receive lesser amounts. The balance of the estate will go to the various charities that Astor intended to benefit. While they won’t have to wait until Marshall’s death, as originally provided under the Will, the estate has been substantially depleted by legal fees and the drop in real estate values since Astor’s death.

Riverside estate planning and elder law attorney Dennis Sandoval sees examples of elder abuse and undue influence on a more and more frequent basis. His office is handling several Will and trust contests, as well as contested conservatorships, in the San Bernardino Probate Court and Riverside Probate Court. Up until the death of Etta James in 2012, associate attorney Pamela Valencia was her court appointed attorney in the Etta James contested conservatorship matter in the Riverside Probate Court. If you believe someone is unduly influencing a senior, if you believe that a Will or trust is not valid or that a senior was the victim of elder abuse, call our Riverside law office at 951-888-1460 or visit our website to schedule a free consultation with one of our estate planning attorneys.

Have a question? Ask Dennis.
















  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Dennis Sandoval
Dennis Sandoval
Dennis Sandoval is the only attorney in California who has certifications in the three areas of estate planning, elder law and taxation. In 2014, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) designated Dennis as a Fellow, an award given to less than 100 elder law attorneys across the United States. He received his Certified Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialist designation from the California Bar Board of Legal Specialization in 1998 and his Certified Taxation Law Specialist designation in 2000 from the same organization. He is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), a designation he proudly received in 2004 after meeting all the requirements established by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) and the American Bar Association. Dennis has also holds the designation as an Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP) from the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils.
Dennis Sandoval
Latest posts by Dennis Sandoval (see all)
  • 5 Reasons to Hire a Lawyer to Help You Probate an Estate - June 23, 2021
  • How Do I Become My Father’s Guardian? - June 26, 2020
  • 5 Steps for an Executor to Take Control As Soon As Possible - June 26, 2020

Other Articles You May Find Useful

What It Means To Die Intestate
contest a Will in California
How Long after a Will Is Probated Can It Be Contested?
Southern California Estate Planning Attorneys
What to Expect from Probate Litigation
Artist Thomas Kinkade Estate Dispute Tells Instructive Tale
Southern California Estate Planning Attorneys
Riverside Estate Planning Attorney Confirms TD Bank Study About Estate Planning
Southern California Estate Planning Attorneys
Will Contest: Wealthy Widow, Barbara Johnson, Dies

About Dennis Sandoval

Dennis Sandoval is the only attorney in California who has certifications in the three areas of estate planning, elder law and taxation. In 2014, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) designated Dennis as a Fellow, an award given to less than 100 elder law attorneys across the United States. He received his Certified Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialist designation from the California Bar Board of Legal Specialization in 1998 and his Certified Taxation Law Specialist designation in 2000 from the same organization. He is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), a designation he proudly received in 2004 after meeting all the requirements established by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) and the American Bar Association. Dennis has also holds the designation as an Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP) from the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils.

VIEW RECORDED WEBINARS

“How To Create a Peace of Mind Out of Chaos” Recorded Wednesday, September 16 @ 11AM WATCH NOW

Inland Empire Estate Planning Attorney

Inland Empire Estate Planning Attorney

BLOG SUBSCRIPTION

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Where We Are

Sandoval Legacy Group, A Professional Law Corporation

See Larger Map Get Directions

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Friday by appointment only

Map

4300 Latham St., Riverside, CA 92501
SLG Riverside Office | 4300 Latham St., Riverside, CA 92501  •  Corona | 1897 California Ave., Ste. 102, Corona, CA 92881  •  Newport Beach | 4940 Campus Dr., Ste. A, Newport Beach, CA 92660  •  Temecula | 40810 County Center Drive, Ste. 150, Temecula, CA 92591  •  Riverside | 3780 12th Street, Riverside, CA 92501  •  San Diego | 3110 Camino Del Rio S., Ste. 308, San Diego, CA 92108  •  Vista | 380 S. Melrose Dr., Ste. 347, Vista, CA 92083

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect To Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
footer-logo

© 2023 Sandoval Legacy Group
A division of Holstrom, Block & Parke,
A Professional Law Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.