Real estate is a valuable asset and a blessing, but it can become a curse that causes family strife if ownership is not clearly spelled out in your trust. Consider a recent California Supreme Court case in which a man…
Audrey Hepburn’s Heirs Still Split Over Stuff
More than two decades after Audrey Hepburn’s death, her two sons still can’t agree on how to divvy up some of her belongings: A locker at Los Angeles Fine Arts & Wine Storage filled with photos, movie posters, clothing, jewels,…
Victory Over IRS in Estate Appraiser Dispute
Many people think the IRS is just too big to beat, and that when the tax collector sends you a bill, you better just pay up instead of trying to defend yourself. But like David bravely fighting Goliath, some taxpayers…
California Recognizes Evidence Extrinsic to Wills
For many years, California courts have prevented heirs from contesting a will based on extrinsic evidence such as letters, handwritten notes and other unofficial documents not included in the estate plan. But last month, the California Supreme Court overturned these…
Estate Planning Tips For Lawyers and Their Clients
The Rules of Arbitration are Not Arbitrary Some people choose to settle legal disputes using arbitration since it is much less expensive and more private than going to court. That’s because a qualified arbiter considers the evidence presented by both…
Who Do You Trust with Your End of Life Care?
Many people think that a trust is about what’s going to happen after they die: who is going to inherit what. But that’s secondary to a trust’s primary purpose, which is to make end-of-life plans legally defining how you and…
Estate Planning Tips for You and Your Clients
Expanding Protections Against Financial Elder Abuse There are plenty of financial predators out there trying to take advantage of vulnerable people – and many of them see senior citizens with diminishing cognitive functioning and valuable assets as easy prey. For…
Does the Death of Robin Williams Signal the Death of His Celebrity Rights?
Williams’ kids and wife continue the fight in San Francisco Superior Court In life, the late Robin Williams was incredibly protective over the commercial use of his name, image and likeness. He rarely, if ever, promoted products or appeared in…
Estate Planning Tip: Don’t Make Bill Graham’s Mistake
In 1991, legendary rock concert promoter Bill Graham perished in a Northern California helicopter crash at the age of 60. Graham’s will named his longtime friend and business partner, Nicholas Clainos, as executor of his $36 million estate. In 1995,…
Estate Planning: Three Lessons From Dead Celebrities
In 2011, pop diva Amy Winehouse joined the list of musicians who died at 27, which includes rock icons Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. Like Winehouse, Joplin and Morrison were drug addicts and appear to have died of overdoses. Unlike…
Bobbi Kristina Brown: How Her Tragedy Would Play Out In California
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only daughter of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, has been in a medically-induced coma since January 31, 2015, when she was found face down in a bathtub of her home in Roswell, Georgia. Since then,…
If You Are A Spendthrift (Trust), Go To Hawaii
A valid spendthrift trust is entitled to certain protections in bankruptcy, especially in Hawaii. In In re Zukerkorn, 500 B.R. 598 (9th Cir. BAP 2013), the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit…