Chuck's Estate: Need a Will? Call Jimmy McGill!

[rue721]

I thought we could use a place to speculate about Chuck's estate. (And just watch, now he's going to show up alive next season and spoil everything ;) ).

14 hours ago, Gobi said:

Regarding Chuck's will. If he didn't have one, then Jimmy is going to inherit everything, presuming  the intestate laws of New Mexico are the same as those of my state.

My guess is that Chuck and Rebecca drew up wills when they got married, but he hasn't necessarily updated his since then (let alone since the divorce). So he might have a very outdated will on file at his lawyer's office. If that's the case, I don't know how that would complicate his probate. Also, if he does have a will, it would be interesting to know who his executor is -- I would guess Howard's father, but that's just because that's who mine would be if I were Chuck.

Also, don't assets (including personal belongings) have to be inventoried before they can be disbursed anyway? And imagine how difficult it is going to be for the executor to make an inventory of Chuck's personal property given the destruction of the house and then the fire.

I just keep thinking that Jimmy is going to have to be involved in inventorying the house -- or will involve himself even if he's not supposed to be. He was very dismissive of his parents' old store, as though it didn't matter to him at all, and yet he still went there to pick up his old coin collection and, apparently, his old Band Aid box. I'm sure there's SOMETHING in Chuck's house that he would want for sentimental value, a family heirloom or a momento from his/their childhood or just something that he associates with Chuck. Even if he says there's not, I can see him going back and combing through Chuck's stuff and looking for something or other in private.

I can also see him insisting he wants things that it's kind of weird or uncomfortable or "inappropriate" for him to want and that would otherwise be trashed/donated/ignored, like I can see him deciding that Chuck's suits are fine and he's going to have them tailored and use them himself. Or trying to hoard whatever fire-damaged work papers might still be in there and to use them as leverage against Howard. Or something else like that. I can see him searching for and even finding the $3M check, and not being able to actually cash it but still holding on to it like it's some kind of talisman and trying to think of ways to use it.

In fact, I can see him trying to come up with some case against Howard/HHM using the $3M check and whatever work papers he can find in the house, and going to court wearing one of Chuck's old suits (as a way of messing with everybody's heads and maybe intimidating them). Like maybe he will try to bring a negligence case against HHM, on behalf of HHM's clients or on behalf of Chuck's estate. I don't know enough about the law to really speculate, though.

And I also keep thinking that Jimmy is going to live in Chuck's house now in general. Maybe he'll inherit it because Chuck has no other heirs, or maybe it will have been passed to Rebecca but she sells it to him (for cheap, I assume). Jimmy only being able to live in Chuck's house after Chuck is dead seems like the kind of superficially practical but soul-killing situation that Jimmy would wind up in. Even if he can't officially get the house, I would bet on him squatting there at some point during probate. I think it's also fitting if he lives in the house because, in a way, Chuck also had a similar relationship to his house and to his brother:  obsessive, destructive, dependent, suspicious that *something* was wrong and it would betray/humiliate him but he couldn't find and tear the bad part out. And I also like that Chuck's house seems to be in Jesse Pinkman's neighborhood, which gives Saul negotiating the purchase of Jesse's house on BB some extra depth. ;)

Plus, on BB, it already seemed like Saul had a little bit of a thing about houses. It always stood out to me that before Saul meets Skyler, he tells Walter that Walt shouldn't worry about Skyler ratting him out because if she did, she'd lose their house (to RICO) -- and then practically the last thing he says to Walt before he's "vanished" is a plan for how Skyler could potentially keep from losing the house (to RICO). I mean, I don't think that really, Skyler would be THAT concerned about the house versus concerned about her husband/family/freedom, but it was clearly something that was at the top of Saul's mind as important. His negotiation of Jesse's house purchase was also pretty hard core, and then he came by with his little housewarming cactus and started going on about how empty the house was and that Jesse needed to furnish it, etc. Obviously he had ulterior motives in coming over, but the advice about warming the place up and the cactus were on him ;) In retrospect, the interest in houses makes some more sense, too. I wonder if anything would have gone through his mind upon seeing Jesse's house when it was basically a meth den. Maybe he would have kicked Jesse to the curb earlier lol.

Also regarding the will: I think it's likely that if there is a will, Jimmy will have been named as a beneficiary anyway, but for stuff like family heirlooms, personal belongings of Chuck's that will have sentimental value to Jimmy, etc. Not anything of great financial value but stuff that would be significant to Jimmy personally. I don't think that Chuck would ever have been generous toward Jimmy per se, but I think that disowning him completely would have been too weird and embarrassing and is therefore something that Chuck wouldn't do. There also might be something like a small trust with a morality clause or something.

Because Chuck WOULD be the type to create a morality clause for Jimmy, isn't he? Maybe that's what necessitates the DBA Saul Goodman ;)

It also seems like if Chuck's estate is in play, we're going to be seeing even larger sums of money getting thrown around -- and I wonder if any of this is going to connect with Jimmy learning how to launder money. I think Jimmy already has the bookkeeping skills to get the job done, but I don't think he has any experience handling the large sums of money that he would have to in order for laundering to even be worthwhile -- and he must get experience somewhere, because Saul was no rookie, he seemed to have a whole thriving side business in laundering even before Walter came along. For all we know, Saul Goodman Associates itself was conceived as a laundering operation.

[rue721]

By the way, it would crack me up if Chuck actually survives the fire and it's a wake-up call for him to (re) write his will.

Imagine: he's in the hospital succumbing to his injuries, but he fights to live until he has completed a will. With his last breath he says, "nothing for Jimmy...." Hahaha.

[ShadowFacts]

Chuck might have a pretty big estate even leaving aside the partnership share.  He had a nice house but not over the top, he dressed in jeans and sweaters at home, no kids.  Since he didn't appear to live extravagantly, he probably was able to do significant investing over the years.  Whoever the heirs end up being, there's going to be a nice amount.

[Giselle]

I hope Chuck is dead. I  see him not having updated his will since marrying thus leaving everything to his ex-wife possibly with a small managed pittance given monthly to Slippin' Jimmy because he will always mess up.

It also may be that the amount of money left to Jimmy is just enough to start the ball rolling on The Law Offices of Saul Goodman.

I can also see Chuck cutting Jimmy out completely.

[Bryce Lynch]

My guess would be that Chuck had made a will leaving everything to Rebecca and had never changed it, as he never really seemed to accept the divorce, but who knows.

As for his estate:

1) The House - unless the insurance company determines that the fire was arson, I imagine they would cover the cost of rebuilding. They might deduct for the damage Chuck did ripping the walls apart, if there is evidence of it.  We don't know if there was a mortgage and if so how much equity Chuck had.

2) HHM - I would think Chuck's heirs would be entitled to his $8 million payout on the same schedule Chuck was do it.

3) Other assets - In season 1, Jimmy indicated that Chuck was practically broke, so I assume he did not have much cash.  It is possible, he had investments, but I would think Jimmy would have mentioned the idea of Chuck tapping into those, unless they were retirement accounts.  

[nodorothyparker]

I thought of Jimmy's mentioning that Chuck was practically broke in season 1 too.  He complains that he can't financially carry them both while he's busting his hump on $700 public defender cases, which is what his push to get HHM to buy Chuck out and Howard sending the check that Jimmy tore up was about.  I wondered then if Chuck had investments that he wasn't mentioning or touching or maybe there was something else going on there we weren't being told about.  People can really surprise you sometimes where money's concerned.

I normally don't care to get into a whole lot of speculating on these things, but my hunch is that it's not going to be so straightforward as Chuck leaving everything to Rebecca or excluding Jimmy or anything neat and tidy at all.  Because whatever the show comes up with, it has to be something messy enough to keep HHM on the canvas and in Jimmy and Kim's orbit unless they plan on writing Howard and HHM out entirely.  We also don't know what legal terms Howard set up for the HHM buyout.  So we may find out that this was the one area of his life where Chuck wasn't so exactingly meticulous for whatever reason.  Maybe in his need for control he kept all the most recent copies of his will at the house or what he left comes with a whole lot of legally binding strings to try to dictate beyond his death.  Maybe he was arrogant enough to not consider that he needed to adjust his will accordingly as his war with Jimmy got worse.   Maybe maybe maybe.  I realize a will and medical power of attorney are not the same thing, but Jimmy was still given that decision making power over him as recently as the copy shop incident, which could suggest that Chuck never got in any big hurry to do anything to legally exclude Jimmy from his life.  Chuck also sounded almost sincere in wanting to bring Jimmy back into the fold the way he talked to Jimmy after the break-in while waiting for the police, which suggests he thought he would eventually get Jimmy back under his thumb where he wanted him.  So who knows?  It just has to be something.

[Bryce Lynch]

If Chuck had written a new will, following the divorce, with Jimmy as heir and then wrote another writing him out, Jimmy might be able to make a good argument that he was not of sound mind when the last will was signed. 

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

If Chuck had written a new will, following the divorce, with Jimmy as heir and then wrote another writing him out, Jimmy might be able to make a good argument that he was not of sound mind when the last will was signed. 

Possibly setting up a confrontation with Rebecca who is no fan of Jimmy anymore.  I'm pretty sure some fight over the estate with someone will happen.  For one thing, what is Jimmy going to do for the next year? 

[rue721]

2 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

 I wondered then if Chuck had investments that he wasn't mentioning or touching or maybe there was something else going on there we weren't being told about.  People can really surprise you sometimes where money's concerned.

To me, that seemed like it was a power play on Chuck's part. As long as Jimmy was broke, he was more or less at Chuck's mercy, or at least a lot more vulnerable and easy for Chuck to control. So Chuck kept undermining Jimmy's ability to get/save/use any money for himself. (I don't think that Chuck *planned* to do that or thought much about it, I think he was just doing it instinctively). 

I think Jimmy was blind to it because he loved and trusted Chuck, and deferred to him, and his instinct was always to put Chuck's needs ahead of his own. That sounds really simplistic and silly but the same exact thing happens between my mother and I (over and over), so it's something I have a lot of empathy for. In fact, just yesterday my mother complained about money because it's time for her to get a new car and a new computer. I immediately said that I would buy a used car and give her my car. Then she could use some of the money she gets from selling her current car to buy herself a computer. Does that make sense as a financial plan? Not really. She makes twice what I do. Also, I can technically buy a car right now, but I'm paying for school and it will put me in a pretty tight spot. But now it's happening. It's just like, a weird reflex on my part. I have also given her my life savings a couple times over, including given her literally all my money, down to the cash in my wallet, when she complained about some bills. Even though, in retrospect, I don't think she particularly needed that money, either. I'm an accountant and good with money in general, but that's not really a money problem, that's a relationship problem. Theoretically, I know that I have to be very protective of what I make (and my ability to make it -- my livelihood) when it comes to her, but in reality, I walk into the trap EVERY TIME. I believe her EVERY TIME.

So, in terms of paying bills, I think Jimmy saw that Chuck's bills were unpaid, and his instinct is to put Chuck's needs first, and so he made sure Chuck's bills got paid. Only, that left Jimmy pretty much out of luck when it was time to pay his own bills. Which Chuck was going to have no sympathy for, because in Chuck's head, why should Chuck be paying his brother's bills?

Then Howard and Chuck did what my mother ALSO does, which is to get on Jimmy's case for being too money-minded and greedy, when he's subsequently stressed out about money. LOL.

Anyway, so I think that Chuck has plenty of money. I think that Chuck's money or lack thereof has nothing to do with Jimmy paying his bills.

Edited June 26, 2017 by rue721
Typos

[ByTor]

4 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

If Chuck had written a new will, following the divorce, with Jimmy as heir and then wrote another writing him out, Jimmy might be able to make a good argument that he was not of sound mind when the last will was signed. 

I think this is more Chuck-ish.  I think he's too anal retentive to have not changed his will.

[Irlandesa]

10 hours ago, rue721 said:

Then Howard and Chuck did what my mother ALSO does, which is to get on Jimmy's case for being too money-minded and greedy, when he's subsequently stressed out about money. LOL.

Anyway, so I think that Chuck has plenty of money. I think that Chuck's money or lack thereof has nothing to do with Jimmy paying his bills.

The little bit we get in the pilot is interesting because I can see at least Howard's POV in regards to Jimmy.  If Jimmy is desperate for money, why is he ripping up a check for $28,000?  And then he went to Howard demanding a 17 million dollar payout which is about twice the value of Chuck's portion that has been discussed since.  I do wonder what the situation was since I'm sure Chuck could negotiate for more money if he needed it.  It'd still be cheaper to up his allowance than totally buy him out.  But Chuck never went that route.

[Jextella]

16 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

The little bit we get in the pilot is interesting because I can see at least Howard's POV in regards to Jimmy.  If Jimmy is desperate for money, why is he ripping up a check for $28,000?  And then he went to Howard demanding a 17 million dollar payout which is about twice the value of Chuck's portion that has been discussed since.  I do wonder what the situation was since I'm sure Chuck could negotiate for more money if he needed it.  It'd still be cheaper to up his allowance than totally buy him out.  But Chuck never went that route.

I've been wondering about the disparity in dollar amounts too, i.e. 28k vs. 8k.   I would be surprised if the writers didn't have something in mind where this is concerned!  I hope so, anyway.  It would be a huge mistake otherwise....too big for the caliber of the writing.

[rue721]

9 hours ago, Jextella said:

I've been wondering about the disparity in dollar amounts too, i.e. 28k vs. 8k.   I would be surprised if the writers didn't have something in mind where this is concerned!  I hope so, anyway.  It would be a huge mistake otherwise....too big for the caliber of the writing.

I think Jimmy's check was so big because his payments had accrued. Howard had probably been trying to pay him weekly, like he did Ernie (and Chuck), and Jimmy refused the payments -- ripped up the checks, whatever -- so Howard had the accrued amount issued on a new check (such as the check in the pilot). If Chuck had been out of the office totally for around a year, and Jimmy's most recent check was $26,000, then Howard might have been trying to pay him $500/week or so.

Chuck was apparently receiving $800/week from Howard, and had been accepting the checks. That's why Jimmy found $800 checks from HHM at his house.

I think Howard was probably trying to do the right thing by giving them an allowance. Just like I think he was trying to do the right thing by paying off Kim's law school debt. I don't think he understands at all why people would be offended by that or why it would come off as condescending/noblesse oblige.

[Kel Varnsen]

Speaking of HHM i imagine they would carry a pretty big life insurance policy for one of their name partners. If the buy out wasn't officially on paper yet that payout could probably allow the firm to buy out Chuck's share and make some money on top of it.

[Bryce Lynch]

On 6/27/2017 at 0:23 AM, Irlandesa said:

The little bit we get in the pilot is interesting because I can see at least Howard's POV in regards to Jimmy.  If Jimmy is desperate for money, why is he ripping up a check for $28,000?  And then he went to Howard demanding a 17 million dollar payout which is about twice the value of Chuck's portion that has been discussed since.  I do wonder what the situation was since I'm sure Chuck could negotiate for more money if he needed it.  It'd still be cheaper to up his allowance than totally buy him out.  But Chuck never went that route.

Jimmy believed that the check and the stipend that Howard began giving Chuck were part of an effort to make a case that Chuck was still an active partner in the firm on a sabbatical, while Jimmy was arguing that Chuck was no longer a a part of the firm and entitled to his share of the value of the firm in a cash buyout.

Jimmy's $17 million figure was probably either a highball figure to start a negotiation or just an inflated estimate on his part.  He had no inside information about the true value of the firm.  After mentioning  $17 million, he said something about the accountants coming in to find what it was really worth.

[Kel Varnsen]

2 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Jimmy believed that the check and the stipend that Howard began giving Chuck were part of an effort to make a case that Chuck was still an active partner in the firm on a sabbatical, while Jimmy was arguing that Chuck was no longer a a part of the firm and entitled to his share of the value of the firm in a cash buyout.

Jimmy's $17 million figure was probably either a highball figure to start a negotiation or just an inflated estimate on his part.  He had no inside information about the true value of the firm.  After mentioning  $17 million, he said something about the accountants coming in to find what it was really worth.

I guess it would depend on the partnership agreement but even if Chuck wasn't practicing wouldn't he still be getting his share of the firm's profit. He wouldn't be getting a salary of course, but owning part of the company would entitle him to profits right?

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Speaking of HHM i imagine they would carry a pretty big life insurance policy for one of their name partners. If the buy out wasn't officially on paper yet that payout could probably allow the firm to buy out Chuck's share and make some money on top of it.

 If I understand this theory correctly, would that mean Howard would get his money back? And, if so, could this mean that Chuck kicking over the lantern was in part motivated by not wanting Howard to have had to buy him (Chuck) out? If so, I would guess Chuck wouldn't have done it out of concern for Howard, but rather so that no one (i.e., Howard) could say Chuck had been the cause of a large financial a loss. 

[Bryce Lynch]

20 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I guess it would depend on the partnership agreement but even if Chuck wasn't practicing wouldn't he still be getting his share of the firm's profit. He wouldn't be getting a salary of course, but owning part of the company would entitle him to profits right?

None of that stuff ever seemed clear.  Jimmy seemed to be under the impression that Chuck was getting nothing but the $857 a week stipend that Howard had just started giving him in episode 101.  Chuck didn't say anything to indicate otherwise and also said he was going to pay back every penny of the stipend.  

I think the subject of Chuck's finances and his financial relationship to HHM is an area that wasn't particularly well written.  I'm not sure why a senior partner would have nothing coming to him, except for a small stipend given, out the kindness of Howard's heart.  I also have no idea how Chuck was suddenly able to afford to have his house rewired after his humiliation on the witness stand.  

[ShadowFacts]

7 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

None of that stuff ever seemed clear.  Jimmy seemed to be under the impression that Chuck was getting nothing but the $857 a week stipend that Howard had just started giving him in episode 101.  Chuck didn't say anything to indicate otherwise and also said he was going to pay back every penny of the stipend.  

I think the subject of Chuck's finances and his financial relationship to HHM is an area that wasn't particularly well written.  I'm not sure why a senior partner would have nothing coming to him, except for a small stipend given, out the kindness of Howard's heart.  I also have no idea how Chuck was suddenly able to afford to have his house rewired after his humiliation on the witness stand.  

Maybe he had a home equity line of credit.  I don't know, but his situation didn't make much sense to me, either.  I just can't imagine that a man of his immense success in the legal arena wouldn't have had made investments over the years.  Maybe he just didn't want to touch them.  We know his ideation in other areas was way off-kilter, maybe he wasn't thinking clearly about money, either. 

[Bryce Lynch]

8 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Maybe he had a home equity line of credit.  I don't know, but his situation didn't make much sense to me, either.  I just can't imagine that a man of his immense success in the legal arena wouldn't have had made investments over the years.  Maybe he just didn't want to touch them.  We know his ideation in other areas was way off-kilter, maybe he wasn't thinking clearly about money, either. 

I agree.  I think maybe the writers wrote in the financial stress part in the pilot without really thinking through whether it really made sense for the character to be more or less broke, after a year or so of a "sabbatical".  

[Bannon]

Regarding the homeowner's policy, there's a decent chance, depending on the precise wording of the policy, that the insurer will try to void the policy, based upon the use of lanterns in lieu of electrical service, and/or Chuck working as an attorney nearly exclusively from his home.

[Umbelina]

On 7/9/2017 at 7:43 AM, Kel Varnsen said:

Speaking of HHM i imagine they would carry a pretty big life insurance policy for one of their name partners. If the buy out wasn't officially on paper yet that payout could probably allow the firm to buy out Chuck's share and make some money on top of it.

Unless they cancelled it very quickly after his "retirement."  Which?  I doubt. 

On 7/10/2017 at 9:25 AM, ShadowFacts said:

Maybe he had a home equity line of credit.  I don't know, but his situation didn't make much sense to me, either.  I just can't imagine that a man of his immense success in the legal arena wouldn't have had made investments over the years.  Maybe he just didn't want to touch them.  We know his ideation in other areas was way off-kilter, maybe he wasn't thinking clearly about money, either. 

I honestly can't see Chuck as ever broke.  I can see him lying to Jimmy about it though.

On 3/6/2018 at 9:47 AM, Bannon said:

Regarding the homeowner's policy, there's a decent chance, depending on the precise wording of the policy, that the insurer will try to void the policy, based upon the use of lanterns in lieu of electrical service, and/or Chuck working as an attorney nearly exclusively from his home.

Wording could go either way, but I agree.

I do not think Chuck EVER had a will where he gave Jimmy anything other than sanctimonious advice.  He would specifically cut Jimmy out of all money, to make his wishes perfectly clear.  He's hated Jimmy since Jimmy was born, and it never stopped.  He would probably leave everything to the wife he kept hoping to someday win back, or perhaps to HHM, his legacy, but Chuck would give it to Planned Parenthood or an Elephant Sanctuary or in an endowment for young promising law students rather than ever see a dime of it going to Jimmy.

Question.

The only two people in the room when Howard gave him that check and made that deal were Howard and Chuck.  Chuck was paraded out as a voluntary retiree, in front of dozens of witnesses.  It's a decent guess that the distraught and pissed off Chuck, with symptoms flooding back, did not stop in to his bank to deposit that check on the way home.  It's also a decent guess that the check burned up in the fire.  So, Howard possibly could say just about anything about whatever agreement they came to about finances, right?  

Anyway, it just seems possibly significant that everyone else was out of that room.

I do think he has a will though.

[ShadowFacts]

On 3/29/2018 at 9:19 PM, Umbelina said:

The only two people in the room when Howard gave him that check and made that deal were Howard and Chuck.  Chuck was paraded out as a voluntary retiree, in front of dozens of witnesses.  It's a decent guess that the distraught and pissed off Chuck, with symptoms flooding back, did not stop in to his bank to deposit that check on the way home.  It's also a decent guess that the check burned up in the fire.  So, Howard possibly could say just about anything about whatever agreement they came to about finances, right?  

I guess I have to get on Netflix and re-view all of this, because after a year I hardly remember what went on.  If the check burned, then Chuck is still a partner.  His share then is due to his estate. 

[Umbelina]

6 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I guess I have to get on Netflix and re-view all of this, because after a year I hardly remember what went on.  If the check burned, then Chuck is still a partner.  His share then is due to his estate. 

Yeah, I agree, but it might give Howard some wiggle room.  I'm not a lawyer, but they always have tricks up their sleeves, as Jimmy has shown us time and time again.

I just got the DVD's so just watched.

BTW, about whether or not Chuck is dead?  It's answered in the commentary.  I'll tag it though.

Spoiler

They describe the "death call" to the actor, so yeah, he's dead. 

Maybe the firm's life insurance policy would cover that pay out though? 

I'm sure the writers will come up with something great, from watching Breaking Bad though, I doubt Jimmy sees much, if any, of Chuck's money.  Aside from how much Chuck has detested and resented Jimmy since he was born?  There is Saul to come, and we know the dude isn't rich.  I supposed he could have blown it all, and who knows, we may watch that happen, but my money is on HHM and the wife getting whatever payout there is, not Jimmy.

[jestersdisguised]

The more I think about it, as much as I would like to see Jimmy get the 3mill+ the settlement off of Sand Piper, it will probably wind up with Chuck writing him out of his will. With Chuck's final exchange with HHM he may have well written it back to HHM on his death, since he has always looked at HHM above everything else. That would push Jimmy even further into the underbelly of his law practice. Just a final betrayal from his brother. His involvement with Mike would give him access to Gus and some of the front money to get his office in breaking bad moving. He still cant practice law so I assume the next season will start up closing that portion of time and quickly advancing the year forward to him being able to practice again. Unless the whole reason he goes by Saul is because he's practicing under a false identity in a new state to circumvent the ruling of the board. His brother dying could push his relationship off the edge and start shaping the character we see in BB. maybe

[Ailianna]

He's practicing law in the same state and the same city as Jimmy McGill that he will later practice in as Saul Goodman.  Albuquerque New Mexico.

[Bryce Lynch]

On 3/29/2018 at 10:19 PM, Umbelina said:

Unless they cancelled it very quickly after his "retirement."  Which?  I doubt. 

I honestly can't see Chuck as ever broke.  I can see him lying to Jimmy about it though.

Wording could go either way, but I agree.

I do not think Chuck EVER had a will where he gave Jimmy anything other than sanctimonious advice.  He would specifically cut Jimmy out of all money, to make his wishes perfectly clear.  He's hated Jimmy since Jimmy was born, and it never stopped.  He would probably leave everything to the wife he kept hoping to someday win back, or perhaps to HHM, his legacy, but Chuck would give it to Planned Parenthood or an Elephant Sanctuary or in an endowment for young promising law students rather than ever see a dime of it going to Jimmy.

Question.

The only two people in the room when Howard gave him that check and made that deal were Howard and Chuck.  Chuck was paraded out as a voluntary retiree, in front of dozens of witnesses.  It's a decent guess that the distraught and pissed off Chuck, with symptoms flooding back, did not stop in to his bank to deposit that check on the way home.  It's also a decent guess that the check burned up in the fire.  So, Howard possibly could say just about anything about whatever agreement they came to about finances, right?  

Anyway, it just seems possibly significant that everyone else was out of that room.

I do think he has a will though.

While I don't think Chuck hated jimmy from birth, (he had a complicated love-hate relationship with him), I do agree that it would seem out of character for Chuck to leave the bulk of his estate, and especially his interest in HHM to Jimmy.  I think sanctimonious advice and some sort of symbolic item would be all he would leave Jimmy.  

Good point about Howard and Chuck possibly being the only ones who knew about the check and the terms of the agreement.  Of course, that could work both ways, without any evidence of a buyout agreement, Chuck's estate could argue that he still had his full partnership interest when he died.   Sort of like Tom Cruise's father in Rain Man.  

It is possible Chuck's will burned in the fire.  You would think a man of his stature, especially a lawyer would keep copies in a secure location, but Chuck was nuts and arrogant enough that he might not have.  Without a will, I would think Jimmy would be his primary, if not sole, heir.  

[Bryce Lynch]

On 6/14/2018 at 12:38 PM, jestersdisguised said:

The more I think about it, as much as I would like to see Jimmy get the 3mill+ the settlement off of Sand Piper, it will probably wind up with Chuck writing him out of his will. With Chuck's final exchange with HHM he may have well written it back to HHM on his death, since he has always looked at HHM above everything else. That would push Jimmy even further into the underbelly of his law practice. Just a final betrayal from his brother. His involvement with Mike would give him access to Gus and some of the front money to get his office in breaking bad moving. He still cant practice law so I assume the next season will start up closing that portion of time and quickly advancing the year forward to him being able to practice again. Unless the whole reason he goes by Saul is because he's practicing under a false identity in a new state to circumvent the ruling of the board. His brother dying could push his relationship off the edge and start shaping the character we see in BB. maybe

I am sure this wouldn't work.  He would need to file paperwork, including his diploma from University of American Samoa and evidence of him passing the bar exam, with the NM Bar to practice under Saul Goodman, and all those documents would be under the name James McGill.  We know his is great with an exacto knife and a copier, but the Bar would verify the records with the university and their own records.  Plus, he has put his face in TV ads, is a very distinctive, unforgettable personality, has tried cases in the presence of most of the ADA's and judges in the area, and is well known to 3 major NM law firms (HHM, D&M and S&C) .  Maybe an obscure real estate lawyer, who never went to court, could pull it off, but there is no way Jimmy could.  

[All That Jazz]

As previously mentioned, "He's practicing law in the same state and the same city as Jimmy McGill that he will later practice in as Saul Goodman.  Albuquerque New Mexico."

He would simply appear before a judge, explain his reasons, and have his name changed legally. His social security number will not change, only his name changes. It's only slightly more complicated than if "Mary Jones" got a law degree, and practiced law, got married (or divorced) and subsequently wanted to be known professionally as "Mary Smith."

[Bryce Lynch]

On 7/16/2018 at 5:44 PM, All That Jazz said:

As previously mentioned, "He's practicing law in the same state and the same city as Jimmy McGill that he will later practice in as Saul Goodman.  Albuquerque New Mexico."

He would simply appear before a judge, explain his reasons, and have his name changed legally. His social security number will not change, only his name changes. It's only slightly more complicated than if "Mary Jones" got a law degree, and practiced law, got married (or divorced) and subsequently wanted to be known professionally as "Mary Smith."

Right, he would have to be above board about the name change.  I wonder if, in real life, a judge and/or the bar association would give more scrutiny to a name change by a lawyer (other than a maiden name/married name type change) than for non-lawyers.  I would think, that for a lawyer, there could be suspicion that he was trying to hide from his prior reputation with the name change, and that might not sit well, ethically with judges or the bar.   

[qtpye]

6 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Right, he would have to be above board about the name change.  I wonder if, in real life, a judge and/or the bar association would give more scrutiny to a name change by a lawyer (other than a maiden name/married name type change) than for non-lawyers.  I would think, that for a lawyer, there could be suspicion that he was trying to hide from his prior reputation with the name change, and that might not sit well, ethically with judges or the bar.   

Not to mention some of the reasoning behind the name change is to represent himself as Jewish, which he is not and that seems pretty shady.