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Wills, Trusts & Estates Keyed to Sterk
Bean v. Ford
Citation:
32 Cal.4th 160, 82 P.3d 747, 8 Cal. Rptr. 3d 541 (2004)Facts
Bean was placed in the foster care of Ford and his wife, Kathleen, in 1955, and lived with them for 18 years. He never knew his biological father and was freed from his mother’s control at age four. During his time with the Fords, they also cared for other foster children, but after Mrs. Ford’s illness, they stopped taking in new children. Bean, though he could have left at 18, stayed with the Fords, developing a close relationship with them and considering them his parents. He also had a sibling-like relationship with Mary Catherine, the Ford’s daughter. After the Fords’ deaths, Bean continued to be involved in their lives, helping with Ford’s care and managing Mary Catherine’s estate after her passing. Although the Fords never adopted him, Bean was treated as a son. After Ford’s death, Bean’s biological relatives, who had not been in contact for years, sought to claim his estate.
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