We have come to the last post in our series about a wealthy Florida man who, his children say, fell into the clutches of the unscrupulous couple next door. Our decedent, called "Bob" here, had been having an affair with the wife while supporting both husband and wife in the manner to which they quickly became accustomed. About four years before he died, he gave the wife power of attorney. After Bob's death in 2010, the couple laid claim to a hefty portion of his $10 million estate.

The neighbors produced a new will that named the wife as a beneficiary. Bob's kids -- well, eight of the nine -- say the will is a fake.

Part of the problem may lie with Bob's estate planning skills. He was a successful business man, for sure. He amassed a $30 million fortune. But, when his wife passed away in 1996, he did not update his will.

His will left everything to his wife. Because she predeceased him, the estate passed to his children and grandchildren.

Granted, this is an approach used by many couples, and the will is probated without any issues. But here, it is hard not to wonder why Bob didn't update his will when he gave the neighbor's wife (his girlfriend at the time) power of attorney.

Also, as we mentioned in our last post, when he appointed the neighbor's wife, Bob's family was concerned enough to call in the Florida Department of Children and Families. DCF was of the opinion that Bob wasn't vulnerable and wasn't being exploited. So why didn't he update his estate plan to include his girlfriend?

We will certainly finish this story up in our next post.

Source: Naples News, "Love and war in Port Royal: Millionaire's children battle for estate vs. ex-neighbor, lawyer," Aisling Swift, Aug. 28, 2011