A judge in the ongoing Thomas Kinkade saga has ruled that hearings dealing with the dispute between his girlfriend and estranged widow will not be conducted behind closed doors.

Kinkade's widow petitioned the judge to keep the hearings private by allowing the case to be sent to an arbitration panel instead of a very public probate court. However, the judge denied this request stating he could not make a decision because he had been given too little information to make her case.

So, at this time, it appears this dispute over handwritten notes leaving Kinkade's girlfriend his mansion and $10 million from his $66 million estate to create a museum for his artwork, will continue to the open probate court. It still has not been officially determined whether these notes are legitimate.

Although they were legally separated at the time of his death, he was still technically married. And the widow is seeking total control of the estate.

For more information on estate litigation or estate administration please contact one of our professional estate and trust attorneys at The Law Offices of David A. Shapiro.

*This blog entry was not written by an Attorney and should not be constituted as professional legal advice.