Celebrity Monday

One of the most important aspects of estate planning is communication! Most estate plans are typically looked at every 3 years allowing for changes and updates to be made, and any good estate planning lawyer will urge their clients to clearly communicate their exact wishes with the ones they love or through the established trust, as to avoid any potential family conflict.   In the case of Mr. Alan Thicke, an [...]

If you’re a Parks and Recreation fan, then you are aware of the iconic Last Will and Testament that was presented and written by Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman) in season 6, episode 5. He was only eight years old at the time of drafting his Will, but would his handwritten Will hold up against state law?    Well, simply put, it depends. Each state has their own laws regarding [...]

Aretha Franklin died at the age of 76 of pancreatic cancer in her Detroit home. What makes this particular loss even more devastating was that Franklin, who’s estate was estimated to be worth approximately $80 million dollars, did not have a will in place, let alone an estate plan.    Unfortunately, due to not having a plan in place, Franklin’s case ended up in the hands of the probate court, which [...]

Robin Williams has warmed the hearts of those across the world through his various works and films. Upon his passing, the world grieved alongside the ones he loved. Unfortunately, despite having a trust based estate plan in place, as to avoid any costs and delays affiliated with probate, a vehement dispute arose between his surviving spouse, Susan Schneider, and Williams’ children from a previous marriage, Zelda, Cody, and Zak.    Although [...]

Joan Rivers made us all laugh through her unique brand of comedy which typically involved skewering famous celebrities.  Sadly, she died on September 4, 2014, from what appears to be a botched medical procedure. As an estate planner, whenever a celebrity dies I think to myself “I bet he/she did not have a plan in place.” This is because there are so many recent examples of celebrities who failed to protect [...]