I think the advantage (or disadvantage) to mediation is that to participate, both parties have to agree that the result will be final and binding - unlike court actions, which can be dragged out and challenged, all while the meter is running and costs are mounting.
The 'slayer statute' is a separate, complicated issue. I suspect HM's lawyers will argue that it isn't appropriate to try to invoke it until all of HM's legal appeals have been exhausted. After all, if her conviction is thrown out on appeal, there isn't much legal basis for invoking the statute.
HM further complicated the issue by assigning much of the trust to Stella. I think WW would be fine with that if it meant that HM would never have access to the funds, but as long as HM has custody, it's hard to spend trust money on Stella without indirectly benefiting HM (and even TS). HM's lawyers will probably make the argument that HM should get money for her next bribe, er, appeal, from Stella because Stella benefits from having her mother freed from prison.
The judge may be suggesting mediation because he hopes it will avoid a drawn-out legal battle that continues to exhaust the trust funds.
Stella might actually be better off if everything is spent on lawyers. If she has no money, there's no longer a reason for HM to hang on to her. Without the money, she might have a better chance of being adopted by someone who genuinely cares for her and not just her inheritance.
Other than possibly the Aussie family, no one is really concerned about Stella at this point. They're concerned about the money she has and who controls that money.
The 'slayer statute' is a separate, complicated issue. I suspect HM's lawyers will argue that it isn't appropriate to try to invoke it until all of HM's legal appeals have been exhausted. After all, if her conviction is thrown out on appeal, there isn't much legal basis for invoking the statute.
HM further complicated the issue by assigning much of the trust to Stella. I think WW would be fine with that if it meant that HM would never have access to the funds, but as long as HM has custody, it's hard to spend trust money on Stella without indirectly benefiting HM (and even TS). HM's lawyers will probably make the argument that HM should get money for her next bribe, er, appeal, from Stella because Stella benefits from having her mother freed from prison.
The judge may be suggesting mediation because he hopes it will avoid a drawn-out legal battle that continues to exhaust the trust funds.
Stella might actually be better off if everything is spent on lawyers. If she has no money, there's no longer a reason for HM to hang on to her. Without the money, she might have a better chance of being adopted by someone who genuinely cares for her and not just her inheritance.
Other than possibly the Aussie family, no one is really concerned about Stella at this point. They're concerned about the money she has and who controls that money.
