PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The children of a wealthy polo mogul have filed a civil suit challenging the adoption of his 42-year-old girlfriend, attorneys say.
John Goodman claims he recently adopted girlfriend Heather Anne Hutchins as a legal move so she could fight the company he believes mismanages the several million dollar trust fund he set up for his own children.
Goodman is contesting a wrongful death suit filed against him by the parents of Scott Wilson, 23, who was killed two years ago in a car accident involving Goodman. He will stand trial next month on charges of driving under the influence, manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident, The Palm Beach Post reported.
On top of this, Goodman's own children have filed a civil suit challenging Hutchins' adoption on the grounds Goodman failed to disclose his upcoming trials to the judge who approved the adoption. Attorneys for the children are asking the jury to consider the nearly $9 million in trust money Hutchins stands to gain from the adoption, as well as the $5 million she would be given yearly.
Joseph Rebak, one of the children's attorneys, told The Post: "If Mr. Goodman is bound to Ms. Hutchins, and feels as though he would like to protect her and take care of her financially, the obvious solution would be to marry her -- not to make her his child."
