September Wrap-Up: Celebrity Estates and Pets

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It’s the end of the month! This month’s hot topics are contentious celebrity estate administrations and pet guardianships.

Celebrity Estate Administrations

Last month we talked about Hulk Hogan’s ongoing estate administration. Hulk Hogan is survived by his daughter, Brooke, his son, Nick, and his wife, Sky. In the previous newsletter, we discussed that Brooke asked to be disinherited, and Florida law might entitle Sky to up to 30% of Hulk Hogan’s estate. It may be surprising to you then, that Sky has signed off on Nick taking over Hulk Hogan’s estate.

The Murdoch’s are another famous family whose estate plan has been in the news. If you haven’t been following along Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal has been attempting to amend his irrevocable trust to put one of his children, Lachlan, in charge of his media empire. The legal battle has been going on for months and may be finally, drawing to a close. According to the New York Times, Lachlan Murdoch will take control of a new family trust in a deal worth $3.3 billion.

Fashion designer, Giorgio Armani, died earlier this month. He had no spouse or children leaving many to wonder, what’s next for the fashion empire Armani? According to Newsweek, shortly before his death Armani told a news outlet “My plans for succession consist of a gradual transition of the responsibilities that I have always handled to those closest to me…such as Leo Dell’Orco, the members of my family, and the entire working team.”

Pet Guardianships

What will happen to Fluffy when I die? This is a question that plagues many pet owners who don’t have a family member or friend willing and able to take their furry friend. This month Forbes wrote about a Florida animal shelter that is serving as a solution through “pet guardianships.” For a fee or donation, these programs promise to care for or rehome pets who are displaced after the loss of a loved one. These programs are not unique to Florida though. If you are looking for a similar program in Arizona check out the ones below:

Many of these programs require planning during your lifetime, so make sure if you have a pet you need to provide for, you get all of the pieces in place.

Proposal to Fight Elder Financial Abuse

According to a study done by AARP, adults over the age of 60 lose over $28 billion from criminal theft. Congressmen have introduced a bipartisan bill intended to combat such theft and financial exploitation. The bill allows certain financial institutions to delay transactions that may indicate financial exploitation. It also requires the Securities and Exchange Commission report to Congress on ways to prevent financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.

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Robert B. Fleming

Attorney

Robert Fleming is a Fellow of both the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He has been certified as a Specialist in Estate and Trust Law by the State Bar of Arizona‘s Board of Legal Specialization, and he is also a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Robert has a long history of involvement in local, state and national organizations. He is most proud of his instrumental involvement in the Special Needs Alliance, the premier national organization for lawyers dealing with special needs trusts and planning.

Robert has two adult children, two young grandchildren and a wife of over fifty years. He is devoted to all of them. He is also very fond of Rosalind Franklin (his office companion corgi), and his homebound cat Muninn. He just likes people, their pets and their stories.

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Elizabeth N.R. Friman

Attorney

Elizabeth Noble Rollings Friman is a principal and licensed fiduciary at Fleming & Curti, PLC. Elizabeth enjoys estate planning and helping families navigate trust and probate administrations. She is passionate about the fiduciary work that she performs as a trustee, personal representative, guardian, and conservator. Elizabeth works with CPAs, financial professionals, case managers, and medical providers to tailor solutions to complex family challenges. Elizabeth is often called upon to serve as a neutral party so that families can avoid protracted legal conflict. Elizabeth relies on the expertise of her team at Fleming & Curti, and as the Firm approaches its third decade, she is proud of the culture of care and consideration that the Firm embodies. Finding workable solutions to sensitive and complex family challenges is something that Elizabeth and the Fleming & Curti team do well.

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Amy F. Matheson

Attorney

Amy Farrell Matheson has worked as an attorney at Fleming & Curti since 2006. A member of the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, she is primarily responsible for estate planning and probate matters.

Amy graduated from Wellesley College with a double major in political science and English. She is an honors graduate of Suffolk University Law School and has been admitted to practice in Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Prior to joining Fleming & Curti, Amy worked for American Public Television in Boston, and with the international trade group at White & Case, LLP, in Washington, D.C.

Amy’s husband, Tom, is an astronomer at NOIRLab and the Head of Time Domain Services, whose main project is ANTARES. Sadly, this does not involve actual time travel. Amy’s twin daughters are high school students; Finn, her Irish Red and White Setter, remains a puppy at heart.

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Famous people's wills

Matthew M. Mansour

Attorney

Matthew is a law clerk who recently earned his law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. His undergraduate degree is in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Matthew has had a passion for advocacy in the Tucson community since his time as a law student representative in the Workers’ Rights Clinic. He also has worked in both the Pima County Attorney’s Office and the Pima County Public Defender’s Office. He enjoys playing basketball, caring for his cat, and listening to audiobooks narrated by the authors.

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