Welch v. Welch

Holding

The court held that the five‑page mediation settlement agreement (MSA) executed by Freeman H. Welch and his late wife Patricia Ann Welch constituted a “complete property settlement” within Probate Code § 145, thereby operating as a statutory waiver of Freeman’s surviving‑spouse rights under Probate Code § 141. Accordingly, the probate court’s finding that the MSA was not a complete settlement was erroneous, and the appellate court reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this determination. ---