Brother Sues Sister Over Dead Boca Raton Mom’s Estate

Beryl Shapiro Died In January. Brother Says Sister Altered Will, Took Loot, Went Shopping, Got Nails Done.

BY: LITIGATION DESK | BocaNewsNow.com

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — It’s going to be awkward at the Shapiro-Guggenheim Passover Seder this year.

After battling cancer for years, family matriarch Beryl Shapiro of Boca Raton died in January, leaving what was supposed to be a will to equally divide her more than $1M in assets among her two children. At least that’s the claim made by Son Adam Shapiro and seemingly supported by documents included in the lawsuit he just filed against his sister. In the suit, he claims that Sherri Guggenheim moved in with mom during her final days, had the will altered, and largely cut Adam out of the equation.

Shortly after mom died, Adam alleges that sister Sherri went on a shopping spree — racking up bills for clothes and a visit to a nail salon.

BocaNewsNow.com obtained the court filing. We’re linking to the entire document at the end of this post. Here are some highlights:

“At some point prior to her death, a change was made to the beneficiary designation for the investment accounts. Completely in contrast with the decedent’s longstanding intention to provide equally to both Adam and Sherri upon her death, a purported change of beneficiary designation was purportedly provided in connection with the investment accounts that made Sherri the sole, transfer-on-death beneficiary.

During this time period, Sherri had moved-in to the decedent’s house in Boca Raton and began controlling her affairs. During all material times, Sherri maintained a position of trust and confidence with the decedent as her daughter and as agent under a durable power of attorney. Upon information and belief, Sherri became the sole beneficiary of the investment accounts to the detriment of Adam.

Upon information and belief, Sherri had conversations with the decedent about making her the sole transfer-on-death beneficiary of the investment accounts. Upon information and belief, Sherri was present when this purported change of beneficiary designation was executed and submitted. Upon information and belief, Sherri would make inappropriate comments about Adam to the decedent in an effort to destroy the love and affection that existed between them. Sherri would make these comments as a means of improperly coercing and influencing the decedent to provide for her more financially upon the decedent’s death.

During all material times, there existed a significant gap in the mental strength between Sherri and the decedent that Sherri used in order to manipulate and coerce the decedent into eliminating Adam as a beneficiary of the investment accounts. Ultimately, the decedent died on January 31, 2024 in Palm Beach County, Florida.

On the same date as the decedent’s death, Sherri transferred $93,000 from the decedent’s Wells Fargo account (which Sherri was on for the purposes of convenience only) into her own personal account. In addition, the next day, Sherri effectively went on a shopping spree using the decedent’s assets to buy herself clothing and go to a nail salon for approximately $1,000. Sherri’s actions during the time period of the decedent’s death are emblematic of how she viewed the decedent as a financial tool during the time period when she was purportedly made the sole transfer-on-death beneficiary of the investment accounts.”

Adam Shapiro is asking a judge to revert Beryl Shapiro’s “Last Will and Testament” to re-include him — the way it was, he says, before Sherri moved in and allegedly made changes. Sherri did not file an immediate response with the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts. Read the entire lawsuit, below.