When Grief Meets Conflict: Knowing When to Hire Litigation Counsel in Litigious Estates

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When Grief Meets Conflict: Knowing When to Hire Litigation Counsel in Litigious Estates

Program Originally Presented Thursday, December 11, 2025

This CLE presentation provides estate fiduciaries with essential guidance on recognizing when routine estate administration crosses into adversarial territory requiring specialized litigation counsel. Speakers explore the critical distinction between administrative and litigation functions in probate matters, examining common triggers, such as, breach of fiduciary duty, beneficiary conflicts, and creditor disputes that transform an estate into a litigious matter. 

Participants will learn to identify early warning signs, including hostile communications among beneficiaries and to the fiduciary, repeated challenges to estate management, and allegations of fraud or incompetence—and key decision points that necessitate engaging litigation counsel to protect both estate assets and the fiduciary. The program also addresses ethical considerations unique to contested estates, including conflict of interest issues when the beneficiary’s singular interests undermine proper and timely administration which then can lead to use of estate funds for legal defense.

Attend to learn when routine estate administration crosses the line into litigation and how to protect both the fiduciary and the estate.

Featured Speakers:
Maureen M. Farrell, Esq.
Law Office of Maureen M. Farrell

James J. Quinlan, Esq.
Of Counsel, Cooper Levenson

0366ODV