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Estate of Riefler

Opinion Date 2017-11-28
  • Court Line: Amarillo
  • Citation: 540 S.W.3d 626
  • Subcategory: Capacity
  • Ruling: Affirm
  • Appellate Standard: Sufficiency of the evidence
  • Jury: Other
  • Probate Court: No
Details
Contestant(s):
Self
Proponent(s):
Other Family
Confusing case but decedent's step-grandchildren and decedent's sister filed competing intestacy claims. The parties settled at mediation. The sister's guardian (her husband) later challenged the settlement agreement.
  • Testator Male or Female: Male
  • Testator Education Summary: Unknown
  • Testator Sophistication Rating: Unknown

  • Prevailing Party in Trial Court: Proponent
  • Prevailing Party in COA: Appellee
  • Attorney Fees Awarded in Trial Court: N/A
  • Testamentary or Contractual Capacity Case: Contractual
  • Doctor Testimony at Trial: Treating physician - Contestant
  • Parallel Cite: 2017 WL 5778576
  • Docket Number: 07-16-00375-CV

Outcomes
  • Our Summary: Party to estate litigation challenged settlement agreement claiming his medications affected his capacity to understand the terms of the agreement. COA agreed that physician's report of high dosages around the time of the settlement amounted to no evidence of incapacity (merely speculative).
Summaries