Remember that classic SNL skit with “Judith” getting silenced at the table? They really captured the dreaded family holiday dinner. Year after year, we all follow the family tradition of packing into that one relative’s slightly too small home, to break the less-than-desirable but proverbial bread with your next of kin. The family holiday dinner is a custom honored across all cultures and divides. Yet, why is this institution—the family holiday dinner—dreaded by so many? Is it the reminder that great Uncle Larry is in an ever-declining state? Is that greedy cousin Susan who seems to have her nose in everyone’s business and private finances? Is it your overbearing brother Tom, who seems to control every aspect of your parents’ lives including when they visit and what they eat? The truth is everyone at the dinner table represents a probate case or contested estate waiting to happen. Oftentimes, we fail to see the warning signs until we are served with a subpoena or worse yet, a summons. Understanding how Prob

If you have ever been involved in litigation, you know from experience that it is a marathon, not a sprint. However, sometimes, certain issues cannot wait until you finally have your proverbial “day in court.” That is where temporary restraining orders (“TROs”) come in handy. TROs (and their counterparts, preliminary injunctions) are designed to provide instant legal protection while a case is working its way through the litigation process (such as written and oral discovery, motion practice, and ultimately preparing for trial).