The Georgia Supreme Court recently ruled on what was the proper interpretation of a will that appeared to leave an interest in real property to his wife, in fee simple, but also let the same property to his son and his son’s children. The issue was between the executors of…
Almost six months after the untimely suicide of comedian Robin Williams, his wife and children are embroiled in a contentious legal battle over his estate. Court documents filed in California during December and January pit his last widow, Susan Schneider Williams, against his children from his two previous marriages: Zak,…
Most people do not believe that they can leave a legacy for their heirs because the word is usually tied to large, multi-million dollar estates. However, there are ways to leave a legacy that does not involve complicated estate planning tools or extreme amounts of wealth. Two simple moves can…
Bobbi Kristina Brown is the only heir to the estate of her mother, renowned singer and actress Whitney Houston, but since being placed in a medically induced coma questions have arisen about who is next in line to inherit her fortune. Whitney Houston’s estate was estimated to be around $20…
This case centered on a dispute over the administration of a family trust as well as the interpretation of trust documents. Despite appealing the ruling, the defendant in the case violated court orders and, and the plaintiff moved to dismiss the appeal based on the rules within the disentitlement doctrine.…
In a time where social media accounts are part of your estate plan, figuring out what should happen to your accounts when you die is something that must be considered. The developers at Facebook have been dealing with this issue for years. Previously, they allowed for a basic memorialized account…
When a person dies, someone else must step up and close the estate. If that responsibility falls to you, as an executor you must identify all of the estate’s assets, pay off creditors, and distribute what is left to the heirs. However, an added responsibility as the executor is that…
Known and beloved as “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks began his career in baseball earning only seven dollars per day in the Negro Leagues, before coming to the Chicago Cubs and becoming one of the team’s all-time favorite players. After baseball, Ernie Banks continued a career in business and philanthropy, Mr.…
On January 17, President Obama proposed a new plan for the tax code that could have implications on estate planning. He proposed a revamp of the tax code that would include bumping up capital gains and dividend rates to 28%, treating bequests like realization events such as making beneficiaries pay…
An attorney claims that he has evidence that a panel of judge in the Panama Supreme Court were bribed into stripping him of control over a $150 million estate. The lawyer, Richard Lehman, says that he has an affidavit that proves that the foreign court illegally removed him from his…