Search Articles

Find Attorneys

Ex-Wife Able to Claim Former Husband's Estate

  • January 28th, 2002

The Court of Appeals of Mississippi rules that a will executed before a couple divorced and divided their property was still valid when the ex-husband died four years later. Hinders, et al. v. Hinders (Miss. Ct. App., No. 2000-CA-01779-COA, Jan. 8, 2002).

In 1993, John and Joyce Hinders created wills leaving everything to each other. The couple divorced in August 1995. As part of the divorce, the Hinders divided their property but made no mention of the wills. Mr. Hinders died in February 1999 without ever canceling the 1993 will or executing a new one. The day after his death, Mrs. Hinders filed her ex-husband's will for probate and began efforts to claim his estate. Mr. Hinders' mother and two of his sisters filed suit alleging that the divorce and property settlement had made the will invalid. The trial court ruled that the will was still valid.

The mother and sister appealed, pointing out that in some states, a divorce accompanied by a property settlement agreement automatically revokes either spouse's pre-divorce will. They also argued that Mr. Hinders' true intention was to revoke his prior will as a part of the divorce because he and his ex-wife lived apart following the divorce and they both had other romantic relationships. Finally, the mother and sisters said Mrs. Hinders was violating the couple's property settlement agreement, which was supposed to settle all property rights or claims between them.

The Court of Appeals of Mississippi agreed with the lower court that the will was still valid. The court pointed out that Mr. Hinders' intentions towards his ex-wife were unclear. There was evidence that he continued some form of relationship with his former wife and expressed concern for her future economic well-being. Moreover, although his will sat in his desk drawer for four years after the divorce, Mr. Hinders made no effort during that time to cancel it or to execute a new one. Finally, the court rejects the argument that Mrs. Hinders breached the property settlement agreement, finding that the will is like a gift from Mr. Hinders to his former wife'”a gift that he had every opportunity to revoke but did not.

Moral: If you get divorced, make sure you change your estate plan. Otherwise, what happens at death may cancel what you did during life.

For the full-text of this decision, go to: https://www.mslawyer.com/mssc/ctapp/20020108/0001779.html.

Local Elder Law Attorneys in Your City

Elder Law Attorney

Firm Name
City, State

Elder Law Attorney

Firm Name
City, State

Elder Law Attorney

Firm Name
City, State


Last Modified: 01/28/2002
Learn the secrets of estate planning from an expert
ADVERTISEMENT
Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

READ MORE
Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

READ MORE
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

READ MORE
Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

READ MORE
Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

READ MORE
Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

READ MORE
Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

READ MORE
Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

READ MORE
Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

READ MORE
Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

READ MORE
ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

READ MORE
Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

READ MORE
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

READ MORE
Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

READ MORE
Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

READ MORE
Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

READ MORE
Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

READ MORE
Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

READ MORE
Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

READ MORE
Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

READ MORE
Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

READ MORE