Blended Family’s Estate Plan Challenges
Americans are romantically optimistic. People keep getting married, even though almost 50% of marriages end in divorce. Estate planning for second, third, fourth marriages can be delicate, especially if there are children from prior relationships. The “blended family” estate plan has a number of special challenges. Among scenarios to consider: Stepchildren: Just Like My Own […]
Emailed ‘Will’ at Center of Heche Estate Dispute
Can an emailed will be a will? That’s the question at the center of a dispute between actress Anne Heche’s son and her former significant other. Heche died in August at age 53. Shortly after, her 20-year-old son, Homer Laffoon, petitioned a California court to be named executor to administer her estate and for the […]
September Review: The Queen and Other Jewels
It’s almost the end of the month, which means it’s time for our monthly review of elder law news and developments. Normally, we survey a broad elder law landscape, but this September review is not normal: Queen Elizabeth has died. That leaves many wondering who inherits her $500 million fortune. So we spend much of […]
Planning for Protection-From Yourself
Most people think estate planning is all about what happens when a person dies. It is, but it’s also important for the living. One special case: When you realize you need protection from yourself. Maybe you have a mental illness and can’t always be attuned to financial matters. Maybe you have a family history of […]
August Review: Newman, Monroe, Prince, Puzio
September is almost here, which means it’s time to look back at the past month’s developments in elder law. For the August review: August Review: Celeb Estates There’s more celebrity estates news than we’ve can ever recall seeing in a single month. We already wrote about Anne Heche’s tragic death, and here are more celeb […]
Anne Heche Was an Organ Donor; Are You?
Actress Anne Heche died last week at 53 after a fiery crash. Her tragic end was a lifeline to others. She was an organ donor. Heche was declared brain dead on August 12. She was “peacefully taken off life support” on August 14, after a suitable transplant recipient was found. Her family revealed that it […]
Naomi Judd Probably Didn’t Disinherit Ashley & Wynonna
Yet another celeb estate is making headlines. This past week, news outlets shared painful news: Naomi Judd left her famous daughters Ashley and Wynonna out of her will. The problem is, nothing in the reporting suggests that’s the case. Famous singer Naomi, who died by suicide in April, apparently did have an estate plan that […]
July Review: Taxes, Dementia, and Beer
Yes, that’s August right around the corner. So here’s our July review of developments in elder law: July Review of Planning & Taxes The IRS is now allowing surviving spouses five years to elect “portability” instead of just two. Survivors can claim their deceased spouse’s unused estate tax exemption without fancy planning up to five […]
ODB Estate: Not an Ordinary Administration
Celebrity estates, they’re just like ours. Or often not. And definitely not in the case of the ODB estate. Nearly 20 years after the death of rapper ODB, a/k/a Old Dirty Bastard, one of his kids is complaining that neither she nor her siblings have received a single distribution. Daughter Ashana Jones is the heir […]
June Developments: Study Says Life Is Good, Eventually
Elder law isn’t exactly the hot legal topic of the moment, but we’ll still share some of the month’s developments anyway. The June review: Aging in America National Geographic and AARP paired up to do a major study of America’s attitudes toward aging. They covered six areas: health, money, happiness, relationships, life stages, and end […]
