In the previous edition of Keystone’s Newsletter, we discussed the recent position of the presiding judge of the probate department of the Los Angeles Superior Court, concerning whether a disinherited trust beneficiary has standing to initiate a trust contest in probate court, in light of the Court of Appeal’s holding in Barefoot v. Jennings (2018) 27 Cal.App.5th 1. At the time of our prior article, Barefoot was pending before the California Supreme Court and was the subject of substantial scrutiny by the probate community. The Supreme Court has now ruled on this matter, overturning the Appellate Court’s decision and confirming the rights of disinherited beneficiaries to maintain trust contests in probate court. Stay tuned, as Keystone will provide in-depth coverage and analysis of this issue in the next edition of its Newsletter.
