Ryne Sandberg’s children from his first marriage have taken their family dispute into a Lake County courtroom, accusing their stepmother of trying to quietly reroute control of the Hall of Famer’s publicity-rights trust in the weeks before he died. According to the complaint, a brief handwritten note, signed by Sandberg, would have shifted power over his name, image and likeness to his widow’s son and the family’s financial adviser. The siblings say that the note was never delivered to the other trustees before Sandberg’s death and are asking a judge to toss it out and order that the trust be set up the way their father originally planned.
What the complaint alleges
The lawsuit, filed in April in Lake County circuit court, says the disputed note is dated July 16, 2025 and includes shorthand about Sandberg’s NIL rights along with a “majority rules” provision for decision making. Justin and Lindsey Sandberg contend the one-page document does not qualify as a valid amendment to the trust, arguing it was never presented to the co‑trustees before their father died and that he lacked capacity in the days after it was signed. Those allegations are detailed in reporting by the Chicago Tribune.
How the trust was supposed to work
Under the original plan described in the complaint, Justin and Lindsey were to serve alongside their stepmother, Margaret Sandberg, as co‑trustees managing any publicity and licensing income tied to Ryne Sandberg’s name and likeness. The suit says that trust was never actually established after his death. Family advisers allegedly tried twice to open a dedicated account to receive NIL and royalty checks, but the filing claims Margaret did not complete the required paperwork, leaving payments and administration in limbo. Those details are laid out in coverage by the Chicago Sun‑Times.
Legal claims and the court timeline
In their suit, Justin and Lindsey ask the court to formally declare that the July note is not a valid amendment to the trust and to order Margaret to create the publicity-rights trust in line with Ryne Sandberg’s earlier estate documents. The complaint identifies Margaret’s son, Steven Koehnemann, and financial adviser Kathy Lintz as the ones who would benefit from the alleged change and seeks a declaratory judgment to block that shift in control. The filing also lists attorneys Norm Finkel and Adam Hirsch as counsel for the siblings and notes that the next court date is set for late July 2026, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Ryno’s legacy and why NIL matters
Sandberg, who died at 65 on July 28, 2025, remains one of the defining Cubs stars of his generation, which makes control of his name, image and likeness a valuable piece of both his business legacy and his baseball story. Coverage of his death and career noted his status as a 10‑time All‑Star who collected nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards before reaching Cooperstown. For background on his career impact and honors, see reporting by AP News and the statistics compiled at Baseball‑Reference.
Next steps and responses
The lawsuit says Margaret Sandberg did not answer multiple requests to move forward with the trust and alleges that the handwritten note surfaced months after the date written on it. The complaint also cites Ryne Sandberg’s stated wish that his family “make decisions on my NIL in a positive and collaborative manner.” Justin and Lindsey’s attorneys are asking the court to prevent any change in control based on the note while the case plays out and to enforce the original trust terms. Reporting indicates Margaret could not be reached for comment, and lawyers for the siblings also did not respond to interview requests, according to the Chicago Sun‑Times.
