My understanding from what the Schindlers said on Larry King Live and elsewhere is that they made Michael an offer that would fully remove him from any legal / financial obligations to Terri if he would only give them custody. This he refused.
Schiavo entered into a medical malpractice suit for nearly 20 million on his and Terri's behalf. He, his lawyer and his medical expert claimed that Terri had a life expectancy of 50+ years (putting her expected aging to about 78) and therefore, a large amount was required to provide necessary medical care, rehabilitation and living needs.
At the outcome of the medmal, Terri and her husband were collectively awarded around 1.6 mil in November of 1992. A considerable drop off from 20 mil.
Within a few months or collecting, Schiavo placed a DNR order on her chart and instructed doctors at the nursing home in which she was confined to not treat a urinary tract infection. He would later admit in court, under oath, that he knew doing so would cause sepsis and, eventually, her death.
He also said - under oath - in 2000 that is was his mother's death that allowed him to understand the need to let go of Terri. However, his mother died some years later than the 1993 incident.
Schiavo is/was on the board of Jerger-Centonze Insurance, but does not have an insurance license in the state of Florida.
It is because of these things that many consider money to have been a primary motivation.
As of some time last year and according to Schiavo and his attorney, there is less than $50k in Terri's medical fund. Terri's medical fund was intended and earmarked for her rehabilitation, yet the better part of it has been spent on 'right to die' attorney, George Felos in pursuit of the removal of her assisted nutrition and hydration.
Under Florida Statutes, an incapacitated person retains the right to prudent financial management of their property. What has occurred is a violation of those guardianship laws.
Taking away the bigger picture of attempts to dehydrate and starve Terri Schiavo to death for only a moment, there has been gross mismanagement of her property as it relates to the statutes.
No one can possibly know for certain if there are any other monies involved, but George Felos did tell local newspaper St Pete Times in 2001 that he intended to write another book - this one about his experiences in the Schiavo case. He is also accepting speaking engagements directly related to the case at 10 and 15k a shot. This cannot be done without breaching the attorney-client privilege ethic unless he's been given permission by his client.
This same attorney was Chairman of the Board of the very Hospice Terri Schiavo was illegitmately confined to some four years ago and at the time of her confinement. This same hospice is a non-profit corporation that sees somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,800 patients a year but claimed a GP of just over $72 million dollars last year alone.
This same attorney has (on his own admission) ties to the Hemlock Society of North American (now called Choices in Dying) and garnered the support of the ACLU in the case of Schiavo v. Bush.
Though it may be virtually impossible to completely and utterly prove that money is changing hands, my gut tells me that it is.
People don't wrong, wrong and wrong again free of charge.