Sometimes, a decedent leaves behind property, and it is unclear who the property belongs to after the decedent is gone. Under the right circumstances, interested parties in Texas can file an affidavit to determine heirship, which allows the probate court to sort out who should get the property in question…
“The heirs of a philanthropist who donated a historic theater to the City of Miami want it back.” A dissolved nonprofit controlled by the heirs of Maurice Gusman sued the city of Miami recently, in an attempt to regain control of the Olympia Theater and restore it to its former…
Despite early reports that she had no will, it seems the Queen of Soul spent a fair amount of time creating three wills to provide for her four sons and leaving behind some strong opinions of the people in her circles. She just didn’t share those wills with her attorney.…
Watching Anthony Bourdain travel the lesser known corners of the world and relish exotic foods and people was fascinating. However, that same approach does not work well, when it comes to more mundane matters, like estate planning. What Anthony Bourdain’s family could have used was a disaster plan, based on…
If you plan on leaving the family home to your heirs when you die, be aware of the tax liabilities that are associated with inheriting a house. This is the type of estate planning decision that requires a closer look with an estate planning attorney to evaluate the pros and…
Unintended consequences can occur when dividing up real property, which is often harder to distribute than investment accounts or savings accounts. Planning for real property division must take into account the different circumstances of your heirs. You may have envisioned a time in the future, when your children and grandchildren…
Without the spending habits of Michael Jackson and the involvement of members of his inner circle, the Jackson estate has been transformed into an efficient multi-million dollar empire. As it stands now, the only factors that might keep the Michael Jackson money machine from moon-walking into eternity are his heirs.…
When the greed nerve gets tapped, relationships suffer. There are things you can do now that will lessen the likelihood of family battles after you pass. Every family has its own dynamics, and some siblings that never resolve their differences, no matter how many years go by. When both parents…
A cautionary tale ends with a will being declared invalid, firings at the local police station and a lesson in elder abuse. A wealthy 92 year old woman suffering from dementia left a $2 million estate to a local police sergeant but after three years of legal wrangling, her will…
Forget to make these changes and your heirs may never forgive you. Forget to align these documents, and your estate planning attorney will never forget you. Once the process of legally ending your marriage begins, you will need to make sure that your own interests are protected and that includes…