Expert available to discuss implications of Smith’s estate

February 9, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— University of Florida Law Professor Lee-ford Tritt, director of the Center for Estate Planning at UF’s Levin College of Law, is available to comment on the various estate legal implications concerning the estate of Vickie Lynn Marshall (a.k.a. Anna Nicole Smith) and the J. Howard Marshall estate.

These include estate distributions schemes in testate estates (dying with a will) and intestate estates (dying without a will), pretermitted child rules (if Smith executed a will before her daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall was born), pretermitted spouse rules (if Howard K. Stern is deemed her spouse and Smith executed a will before she married Stern), elective share issues (if Smith died intestate and Stern is deemed her husband), claims of undue influence, claims of more distant heirs and guardian issues connected with Dannielynn. Also, there are estate legal issues still pending in the Marshall estate in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling, which Tritt can discuss.

Tritt can be reached at 352-273-0952.