“Estate of Eleanor Anderson. All parties, please enter.”
Judge Patricia Harris was in her late fifties, with steel-gray hair and the sharp eyes of someone who had seen every trick in the book.
She reviewed the case file briefly, then looked up at both sides.
“This is a petition for conservatorship of the deceased’s estate,” she began. “The petitioners argue that the will’s designation of Sarah Grace Anderson as executor and primary beneficiary should be set aside in favor of co-trustee management by the deceased’s daughter and son-in-law. Is that correct, Mr. Morrison?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Richard Morrison said. He sounded significantly less confident than he probably had during case preparation. “However, I’d like to request a brief recess to—”
“Denied. We’re here now. Counsel, present your case.”
Morrison glanced at my parents, then at me, then back at the judge.
“Your Honor, my clients believe that Ms. Sarah Anderson lacks the financial sophistication and maturity to properly manage an estate of this size and complexity. They’re requesting that the court appoint them as co-trustees to ensure responsible stewardship of the assets.”
“Ms. Anderson,” the judge turned to me, “are you represented by counsel?”
“I am, Your Honor, but he’s not present today. I’m prepared to respond to the petition myself.”
Judge Harris raised an eyebrow. “You’re appearing pro se on an estate matter?”
“With respect, Your Honor, I didn’t think I’d need extensive legal representation to defend my grandmother’s clearly expressed wishes.”
“Tell me about these clearly expressed wishes.”
I opened my folder.
“Your Honor, I have here a notarized statement from my grandmother’s estate attorney dated two weeks before her death. In it, he confirms that Mrs. Eleanor Anderson was of sound mind, understood the full extent of her assets, and specifically designated me as her executor and primary beneficiary. She explicitly stated she did not want her daughter or son-in-law to have access to her accounts.”
I handed the document to the bailiff, who passed it to the judge.
Judge Harris read it carefully.
“This seems fairly definitive, Mr. Morrison. What’s your response?”
“Your Honor, my clients contest the validity of—”
“On what grounds? The attorney’s statement is clear. Mrs. Anderson was competent. She knew what she was doing.”
“We believe undue influence may have been exerted.”
“By whom? Your own document states Ms. Anderson lived independently until two days before her death. She wasn’t in her granddaughter’s care. She made these decisions with her own attorney, whom she had worked with for thirty years.”
Richard Morrison was visibly sweating.
“Your Honor, my clients have extensive financial experience that would benefit the estate.”
“Let’s talk about that financial experience,” I interjected. “Your Honor, may I present additional evidence?”
Judge Harris nodded. “Proceed.”