Carlson v. Sweeney, Dabagia, Donoghue, Thorne, Janes & Pagos

RUCKER, Justice.

Arising in the context of a legal malpractice action, this case involves the reformation of trust provisions in two wills to comport with the testators’ intent to avoid adverse federal estate tax consequences. We hold the trusts were properly reformed to include ascertainable standards in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code.

Facts and Procedural History

In 1988, Norman R. Carlson, Sr., and his wife Hilda Carlson (referred to collectively as “Testators”) hired the Indiana law firm of Sweeney, Dabagia, Donoghue, Thorne, Janes & Pagos (“Law Firm”) to prepare their wills.…