Case Studies
J.S. Held Acquires Shechter & Everett to Expand Forensic Accounting Capabilities for Family Law Disputes in Florida
Read MoreA family trust originally structured to distribute assets equally among three siblings became the subject of a dispute after a series of amendments significantly altered the expected outcomes. Following the death of the parents, two beneficiaries were left with minimal distributions, only $40K each. A third sibling, who controlled the trust’s financial records and operations, was positioned to receive more than $20M of the remaining trust assets.
Counsel had limited access to reliable financial information, and there was uncertainty surrounding the completeness of the records. On behalf of the two siblings, counsel engaged J.S. Held to independently assess the trust’s true financial position and determine whether the revised allocations accurately reflected the underlying economics.
At the outset, the financial picture of the trust was incomplete and largely controlled by a single party. J.S. Held set out to reconstruct that picture from the ground up, analyzing activity across more than 20 bank and investment accounts, as well as an extensive portfolio of real estate and related financial records.
As the records were pieced together, a different financial story began to emerge. What initially appeared to be a limited pool of assets expanded significantly, revealing previously undisclosed accounts, financial relationships, and a broader asset base with a total value approaching $22M.
This shift in understanding proved critical. During mediation, settlement discussions included an initial offer of approximately $4M. With a fully reconstructed and supportable view of the trust’s assets and activity, counsel was able to reassess value and proceed to mediation from a position of strength.
The matter was ultimately resolved through a negotiated settlement in 2026, resulting in approximately $12M in total value to the clients, substantially increasing their recovery from both the initial expected distributions and the initial settlement offer.
Following the settlement, J.S. Held has continued to support the clients with post-settlement implementation, including liquidation planning and financial modeling to help maximize the value of the awarded assets.
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