Robin Williams’ widow Susan Williams settled out of court a lawsuit over the late actor’s estate last year. The highly publicized dispute with his children revolved around an estate worth an estimated $100 million.
Disagreements over trusts and wills between family members tend to be fraught with strong emotions and can quickly escalate. Although a loved one may have left instructions regarding the division of assets upon their death, beneficiaries may question their legitimacy and accuracy. Upon a family member’s death, challenges to a trust or will can be asserted by any interested party — whether it is a spouse, children or other heirs and possible claimants — when there is a perceived unequal division of assets. In such circumstances, a resolution may have to be sought in court.
In this case, much of the dispute concerned what items constituted celebrity memorabilia and what counted as personal keepsakes. Susan Williams was unhappy with trustees claiming many possessions as memorabilia for the estate. She also said she was not receiving enough money from the actor’s estate to maintain their home in Tiburon, California.
Robin Williams’ trust had established guidelines about how his assets were to be distributed among his family members. The actor left the majority of his estate to his three adult children from his first two wives. The children’s attorney said they had been “following both the letter and the spirit of Robin’s instructions” and could not understand why Susan Williams “acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate.”
In the settlement, Susan Williams received just a fraction of the overall estate — enough for the lifetime upkeep of the home. She was also able to keep some sentimental objects such as wedding gifts and clothing. The children received the bulk of the items, including bikes, watches and their father’s Academy Awards statue.