Probate: Trust Distribution-Final Judgment

Staff Report//July 9, 2026//

Listen to this article

Plaintiff appealed the trial court’s amended judgment awarding the Joint Revocable Trust of Melvin C. Soppeland $50,501 from assets transferred to defendant following former trust beneficiary Carol Soppeland’s death. Plaintiff argued that the trial court’s original judgment awarding the trust over $846,000 constituted a final judgment which defendant failed to appeal or seek post-trial relief, and thus the trial court was precluded from amending the judgment after 30 days had passed.

Where the original judgment constituted a final appealable judgment because it resolved all of plaintiff’s claims, the trial court lacked jurisdiction to enter an amended judgment after 30 days.

Judgment is vacated and remanded.

Herron v. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MLW No. 84953/Case No. ED113254 – 12 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Clark, J.) Appealed from circuit court, Jefferson County, Senkel, J. (Kevin A. Sullivan for appellant) (Richard J. Keyes, Thomas J. Piatchek and Joshua M. Watts for respondents)