Supreme Court of Connecticut
Wisniewski v. Palermino
March 4, 2025351 Conn. 390
Summary
The court held that intended beneficiaries may pursue a professional negligence claim against an estate-planning attorney who allegedly failed to advise the client that an existing security-account beneficiary designation would defeat the client's testamentary plan. The plaintiffs did not adequately allege a will-drafting error, and the attorney had no duty to ensure that the client actually changed the designation. The breach of contract claim was properly dismissed because its allegations sounded in professional negligence rather than contract. Three justices concurred in part and dissented in part, but no separate opinion text was provided here.