A Child Vs. William F. Buckley Jr.'s Family Fortune

[EinCT]

As William F. Buckley Jr.'s only child, satirist and former White House aide Christopher Buckley is poised to inherit a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars.
But as Buckley waits for the estate of his late father to go through probate court in Stamford, a former Random House publicist is fighting in a Miami courtroom to increase the $3,000 a month in child support he pays for the special-needs son he fathered with her.
Irina Woelfle's lawsuit blames 7-year-old Jonathan's learning problems, in part, on Christopher Buckley's refusal to have anything to do with the boy.
"The father is notably absent from the minor child's life," her lawsuit states.
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Irina Woelfle The legal proceedings involving Christopher Buckley's relationship with his third child — he has two older children with his wife — have received little attention. Details of the initial case that set the child-support parameters for Jonathan were sealed by Connecticut judicial authorities, who for years hid from the public such lawsuits involving prominent people.

It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that the Buckley family's efforts to keep Jonathan at arm's length don't end with Christopher Buckley. In his will, William F. Buckley Jr. leaves the contents of his estate to Christopher and the two children he fathered with his wife — and leaves no doubt that Jonathan will get none of the money.
"I intentionally make no provision herein for said Jonathan, who for all purposes ... shall be deemed to have predeceased me," wrote William Buckley, who died in February.

Attorneys who handle probate matters said William Buckley's intent was to make it clear Jonathan had no claim to his estate. Not mentioning the boy at all could have opened up the estate to a challenge.

"The language seems a little over the top; almost mean-spirited," said Greenwich lawyer Patrick R. Gil, who has handled several high-profile probate cases, including the estate of murdered Greenwich swindler Andrew Kissel.

"By deeming him pre-deceased, he was making sure no one would let [Jonathan] put his nose under the tent," Gil said.

It is a tent worth millions of dollars. William Buckley's landholdings alone make it likely that the $10 million estimate his son made as part of the paternity case is highly conservative.

The family's home on Wallacks Drive in Stamford was assessed at slightly more than $5 million in 2007, according to land records.

[EinCT]

In addition, William Buckley owned a 5,000-square-foot ground-floor maisonette apartment on Park Avenue in one of the most exclusive co-ops on the East Side of New York City. Others who lived in the building include socialite Brooke Astor and designer Vera Wang, whose slightly bigger apartment sold for $33.6 million last year.
Realtors expect Buckley's apartment to sell for $23 million to $35 million.

In the Florida court filing, Woelfle indicates that Jonathan is having difficulties in school because he has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Woelfle asserts that the boy needs to attend a private school with a "small, nurturing classroom setting so that Jonathan can thrive and reach his academic potential."

The lawsuit makes clear that she wants Christopher Buckley to use his large inheritance to foot the bill, noting that "there has been a substantial change in the Father's income" since the child support agreement was reached.

In addition to more money, Woelfle is asking the court to order that Buckley have some contact with his son. In the initial agreement in Superior Court in Stamford, finalized in May of 2003, Christopher Buckley agreed to pay $3,000 a month in child support to Woelfle.

The agreement also stated that Christopher Buckley did not want visitation rights. The agreement prohibited Woelfle from contacting Buckley directly about Jonathan; all communication goes through their attorneys.

In the new court filing, Woelfle said the boy has reached the age at which he needs a father figure.
"As Jonathan gets older, he requires love, attention and a notable involvement in his life from his father," the lawsuit said. "It is in Jonathan's best interest and welfare for this court to impose a contact and access schedule on the Father, so that Jonathan can establish a relationship with his Father and extended paternal family."

Woelfle now works for a public relations company in Coral Gables, Fla. She met Christopher Buckley when she did public relations for Random House, which published "Thank You for Smoking," one of his five novels. She was living in Newtown when Jonathan was born in March 2000.

Woelfle declined to comment. Buckley, who was once a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush, could not be reached for comment. He now lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife and two children.

Buckley apparently has put his political leanings aside to fight the Florida case. He has hired attorney Bruce Christensen, of the Miami law firm Richman Greer, the firm that represented members of the Democratic canvassing boards that were sued during the recount scandal in the 2000 presidential election.

Although he wouldn't comment on the specifics of the lawsuit, Christensen has filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that Florida courts have no jurisdiction, even though Woelfle and her son now live there.

Christensen also said that lawyers for the two parties are "working toward a solution to this matter."

Buckley filed the lawsuit in Stamford court, seeking to establish parameters for child support in 2003. He originally wanted the case filed under "John Doe vs Jane Doe" to conceal his identity. It eventually was filed as a "Level 2" case, meaning the identities of the two parties were public, but the contents of the file were not.

For years, Connecticut judges quietly sealed cases from the public's view. In some cases identified as "Level 1," the entire files — including the identities of the parties — were kept secret. There were more than 6,300 Level 2 cases like Buckley's.

The Courant and Connecticut Law Tribune sued the state judicial branch to get the files unsealed.
After more than four years of litigation, the docket sheets were made public in 2007, identifying the parties in 40 Level 1 cases and the complete files in many of the Level 2 cases, including the Buckley case.

[EinCT]

Another deadbeat dad I see. This man is discusting! He either cheats on his wife or had an affair while they were split then has a special needs by another woman and him and his family refuses to acknowledge this boy at all. He should be hung by his bawls. I hope his wife and kids dont feel the same way he and his father do/did.

[canaan]

this guy's endorsement of obama speaks volumes about the priorities of the Ivy elites, who don't want to be "punished for [their] mistakes[s]." ditto to EinCT: he should be hung by his bawls, as should anyone who respects his opinion or endorsement.

[Galway Bay]

It is ironic that at this time CHristopher Buckley should be peddling a book about his fatherand mother's death and he effect it had upon his person. What in the name of God has the sins of his father visited upon him, that his sins should be visited upon his child. Having read this book and seen CHristopher spend hours on TV on the Book Chanel "using" publicly on his drug of choice, i.e., his own self-serving mastery of teh word, so as to raise his arrogant, self and his grandiose parents up to loft heights, mere mortals like ourselves will never appreciate, save for those who buy into fiction,and utter tripe. I conclude that this family are as sick as pigs and that Swine Ful is alive and well and living in Christopher Buckley. Gore Vidal must have known more than most, to have celebrated William Buckey's death with such vitriol as he exclaimed when Buckley Senior passed away. May God be merciful for inflicting so much abuse on his son, as to make him a child abuser of his own son Johanathan He sould hang his head in shame.

[eaharris]

LOL GOLD DIGGER! She wanted a Buckley spawn, and she got one.

[reasonableman]

obviously Buckley didnt want the kid, the pathetic woman chose to go it alone, and now wants to punish Buckley and her kid for her own decision to go ahead with an unwanted pregnancy! When reasonable, legal options exist for situations where BOTH parents dont want the child, why does the woman get to decide that a man must be a father? Where is his right to choose? You cant have it both ways - I applaud Buckley for his refusal to participate in a life he obviously didnt want. How sad that this woman is choosing to destroy her child's life and Buckleys!

[Contracarl]

The fact remains that Mr Buckley is the father of this child, and the. The couple thousand in current support is very generous for the average child. However, as soon as Mr Buckley's financial situation changed, there needed to be an adjustment in the support order.

There is NO reason this child should not get what his siblings get. They should be on par with each other. If his 2 other children go to private schools and Yale, so should his son by this woman. If the children go for vacations, music tutors, etc, his son should receive the same. Love is another thing. That can't be forced. I am sure if Mr Buckley needed a kidney and this child had the only compatible one, well, Mr Buckley would probably choose death over the recognition of his son .

With any luck his child will grow up to be a success in spite of his fathers lack of presence.

Oh, with more luck, when the kid turns 16 and gets a car he can drive to daddy's house and start crashing family functions. I can't wait for the headline: "ILLEGITIMATE BUCKLEY SON CRASHES SIBLING'S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PARTY. FATHER IS PRESSING CHARGES AND WANTS JAIL TIME"

[maginnisone]

Buckley is not a deadbeat since he does pay substantial child support. Perhaps he will pay more in the future when he receives his inheritance. However, I hope the money goes to the child. The mother doesn't seem stable. It is too much of a stretch to blame the boy's learning problems on the absence of his father. I am sure Buckley's desire to not have contact with the child has much to do with distaste for any contact with the mother. I have read Losing Mum and Pup. It seems to be very honest about his parents. They were far from perfect but he loved them.

[SKM-Chicago]

Today, 8/13/09, I finished reading Christo's memoir of his parents. I found the descriptions of his parents that he furnished to be filled with resentment, grief, lonliness, and love. His upbringing was one of detached, studied, neglect. I did not know very much, if anything about his mother, but, after reading about her, my distaste for her is palatable. His father - well, when you have a parent as brilliant as WFB,Jr., it is difficult to be anything but in awe of such erudition. I will say that the son left out many, many, instances of spiteful behavior on the part of his parents. What he did write reminded me of Margaret Mead's "Blackberry Winter" autobiography: Read between the lines. If this man chooses not to "play" father to a child conceived, perhaps in a "one-nite stand", someone, please tell me how the court can demand that he be compelled to comply with the mother's request? The lady is desperate - and she, more than the boy, needs attention.