BABIESDannielynn Named Sole Heir to Anna Nicole's Estate
Mar. 4 2008, Published 9:09 a.m. ET
Eighteen-month-old Dannielynn Birkhead has officially been declared the sole heir to late mother Anna Nicole Smith's fortune, a Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday.
The decision came five months after Howard K. Stern, executor of Anna Nicole's estate, filed papers asking the court to name the tot as the lone heiress, thus clarifying Anna's 2001 will, which was drafted five years before Dannielynn was born.
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"We and Mr. Stern always believed that Anna Nicole never intended to disinherit her daughter," Howard's lawyer, Bruce S. Ross, said after the hearing. "I'm pleased to say this chapter in the saga is closed."
Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff also established a trust fund for Dannielynn, naming Howard and dad Larry Birkhead as co-trustees.
In addition to her mother's estate, Dannielynn could potentially inherit millions more from J. Howard Marshall, Anna Nicole's second husband who left a handful of his fortune to his wife — a decision his family has contested. The battle over the money is currently still tied up in court.
