April Wrap Up: Wendy Williams Guardianship Update and estate planning

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Power of attorney helps avoid guardianship

It’s the last Sunday of April. That means it’s time to look back at all of the elder law related news that happened this month. The big happenings this month were an update on the Wendy Williams Guardianship battle, estate planning new for high value collections and an update to the small estate rules in Arizona.

Guardianship and Conservatorship News

Wendy William’s Guardianship continues to be in the news. Following the release of the TV show “Where is Wendy Williams?” which documented her guardianship, protesters rallied on April 1 to have her guardianship terminated. It has sense come out that she was originally in support of the guardianship, but did not realize the extent that the guardian would have over her finances and life.

In April 2024, Jay Leno was granted conservatorship over his wife, Mavis Leno, after announcing her dementia diagnosis. He spoke to People Magazine on their new normal after being married for 45 years.

Estate Planning

MarketWatch put out an article on the top three reasons why people don’t do an estate plan and why they are wrong. Here’s a quick summary of the reasons people don’t estate plan and why I think they’re wrong:

  1. People don’t estate plan because they don’t think they have enough assets. They’re wrong because estate planning is about more than distributing assets on death. It’s about planning for incapacity, addressing final disposition arrangements and more. Plus, even if the estate is small, there are estate planning tools that can be used to make the administration smoother and more organized for the person administering the estate.
  2. People don’t estate plan because they procrastinate Procrastination can be hard to get over, especially in times where there are potential changes in the estate tax exemption amounts looming in the distance. But, we never know when our estate plan will become handy and if you wait too long, it might not get done before it’s too late.
  3. People don’t estate plan because they don’t know where to start. Start by calling an estate planning attorney. Let a professionals figure out the best estate plan for you. Utilize their expertise.

Are you a collector? Transferring high value collections from one generation to the next can be more complicated than people think- especially when there is an emotional attachment. This article tackles the dos and donts of passing on high value collections. It also covers what happens when heirs don’t actually want them?

Other Stuff

2 Responses

  1. Let windy williams be her own boss of her money she worked very hard and went through hell to get what she got she seems to be doing better finally so let her continue her journey doing what she loves best and that’s working I’m sure she would get another opportunity in the industry Love you Wendy God bless

  2. How does someone who has no family get an advocate to help them. I have no estate because I have nothing to pass or
    anyone would want and I have no money to pay anyone anything. I don’t know if you’ll take this because I am poor with 0 assets. Thank you.

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Robert B. Fleming

After more than 50 years of practice, Robert Fleming will retire on January 1, 2027. Our hearts are full of appreciation for Robert. A founding member of Fleming & Curti, PLC, he leaves behind a legacy built on mentorship, advocacy and education. A champion of autonomy and self-reliance, Robert advocated for thousands of vulnerable children and adults throughout his career. A visionary in the Special Needs Planning and Elder Law communities, his innovative ideas created new opportunities for individuals with special needs. The Fleming & Curti team look forward to celebrating Robert and promoting the legacy he leaves behind in the decades ahead.

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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

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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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