Articles Posted in Estate Planning

The first part of this article listed some of this year’s most notable celebrity deaths and the estate planning issues that arose as a result. This next part of the article is a continuation of lessons that can be learned by the estate planning problems of celebrities who passed away this year.

Paul Walker

Mr. Walker tragically died at the young age of forty this year in a car accident. He did take the steps to plan for his estate at a young age, but at the time of his death he had not updated his documents in over twelve years. His estate had a will, trust, and over $25 million in assets when he died.

Factoring in retirement to an estate plan can be confusing, tiresome, and complex. In fact, this aspect is arguably the most difficult part of estate planning because you can never be positive about exactly how much money you will need in retirement. With the influx of new estate planning tools this year also came some changes in the way retirement planning should be approached. Here are five changes that could affect the way that you plan for retirement next year.

Decreased Creditor Protection in Inherited IRAs

This year, the United States Supreme Court ruled that creditors can gain access to the funds in an inherited IRA. As discussed in a previous post, the justices in Clark v. Rameker found that inherited IRAs are not considered retirement funds for the heir, and therefore they do not get the same protections as the original IRA holder under federal law.

According to a report released by U.S. Trust, in the United States there are nearly 1.8 million households that have assets totaling $3 million or more. Many of these families will struggle with how to give their children an inheritance that provides for their needs while not giving them so much that they lose their sense of work ethic and independence. The question being asked is simply, how much is enough?

Trust Fund Babies

The advent of reality television and social media has given the public an eye into the world of some so-called “trust fund kids.” The media attention on Paris Hilton, the Kardashians, and “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” show us the very worst that can happen when children inherit an abundance of wealth from their families with little to no guidance.

James Brown’s life was full of life, music, and manic energy. It was also full of broken marriages, estranged children, tax liens, and legal problems related to drugs, guns, and domestic violence. However, James Brown’s estate was meant to be a mea culpa for his transgressions in life and to help others after his death. Yet, almost eight years after his passing the charity that was supposed to receive a significant portion of James Brown’s estate has not seen a dime, his family is entangled in lawsuits, and even the state has attempted to intervene.

Estate Problems

James Brown signed his most recent will in 2000, and he explained on audio tape that he wanted a portion of his estate set aside for the use of a scholarship fund to benefit black and white children in his home state of Georgia as well as South Carolina. In addition, the will provided $2 million in scholarships for his seven grandchildren and divided his other personal property worth another $2 million between the six children that he recognized. Any heir who challenged the estate would be disinherited.

Joan Rivers’ estate continues to be a topic of interest as it has been recently discovered that she reduced her estate tax burden by claiming residence in one state while actually living in another. Ms. Rivers’ died in September at the age of 81, and she had a will on file at the Surrogate’s Court in New York that was dated November 16, 2011. The will is of interest to estate planning attorneys and experts because of some of the wording regarding her place of residence.

Joan Rivers’ Will

The will on file states that Joan Rivers was a resident of New York state, but it also states that her state of domicile where she intended to stay “indefinitely and on a permanent basis” was California. Furthermore, her estate document contends that New York estate law will apply to the validity, interpretation, and administration of the will unless she died in California. If that was the case, California law would apply.

Recently, Apple and Facebook made the headlines when both companies announced that it is paying the expenses for its female employees to freeze their eggs. Most people do not assume that an announcement like this will affect their estate plan, but if you have a daughter or granddaughter you may want to reconsider that opinion. If either decides to use assisted reproductive techniques and freeze their eggs, you must consider whether you would like to include these potential descendants in your estate plan.

Defining Descendants and Heirs

For estate planning purposes, descendants and heirs are people who are genetically, biologically, or legally related to you. However, with the advent of egg freezing there is a chance that you will have a descendant that is not biologically or genetically related to you, and you must decide whether to include them in your estate.

Planning ahead and drafting an estate plan can reduce a lot of stress and worry in your life once you know that you family and loved ones are protected in your estate. The first part of this article began to list specific aspects besides determining the inheritance of your heirs that you should also decide upon when creating an estate plan to make it as stress-free as possible for you and your family’s future. This part of the article continues with more tips to create a stress-free estate plan.

More Elements of a Stress-Free Plan

Create a financial framework for heirs too young to manage an inheritance

Estate plans are designed to take care of future issues and concerns, such as planning for retirement, long-term health issues, avoiding estate taxes, planning inheritance, and preparing for Medicare and Medicaid eligibility. However, creating an estate plan now can also help eliminate a present-day issue: stress and worry that comes with the unknown. Most planners admit that they feel a certain level of relief once an estate plan has been put into place because they know that their loved ones are protected and provided for should anything happen.

Elements of a Stress-Free Plan

Every person’s needs and wants are different when it comes to an effective, stress-free estate plan. However, there are some basic elements that should be covered in every plan besides deciding who should get what from the estate. This includes issues surrounding the creator of the estate as well as any family issues that can be protected or prevented by the estate.

This year saw a number of tragic celebrity deaths, and some were complicated further with estate planning issues. Using these stories can be a good way to transition into discussing issues of estate planning with your own family. A look back on the celebrity deaths and estate battles of the rich and famous shows just how many things can go wrong when an estate is not properly planned.

Patrick Swayze

Although Patrick Swayze died over five years ago, reports are coming out now that members of his family believe that his will was forged only a couple of months before his death while Mr. Swayze was hospitalized. His entire estate was left to his widow, and nothing was left to his mother or siblings. Because of the length of time that the estate has been closed, chances are that the estate documents will remain valid despite allegations of forgery.

Divorce is almost always an emotionally and financially draining experience, and high asset divorces come with an increased level of tension and drama. It is because of that emotion that some spouses in high asset divorce settlements make irrational decisions or financial errors that can cost them thousands or millions of dollars in the end. However, there are some areas in a high asset divorce that can be analyzed to ensure that you are getting the most out of the settlement proceedings.

Hiring a Valuation Expert

One way to minimize potential mistakes in a high asset divorce is to hire a valuation expert. This person is an objective professional who is hired to make accurate valuations of all assets for the couple based on specific metrics and methodologies. Many valuation experts are associated with accounting firms and carry special designations for their profession. However, more help may be necessary for the expert if highly specialized assets like a privately held company, holdings in a family business, or other technical investment interests are at stake.