Although the vast majority of estates aren't contested, the more money that is at stake, the more incentive a family member has to try to get some of it. Certain family issues in the United Staes are unique to our country. However, some people tend to have the same behaviors…
Donna Spears, a longtime friend of centenarian Helen Schlesinger, claims in her Manhattan civil suit that New York-Presbyterian physician Dr. Lawson Moyer has broken the law by both treating the 470 Park Ave. resident and appointing himself as her power of attorney. Can you trust your doctor with your will?…
Talking to family members about estate planning and legacies can be difficult and even painful. Those discussions, however, will almost certainly be less painful in the long run than the stories children may make up after parents are gone about why they made the choices they did. Should you tell…
Family law practitioner Andy Low Hann Yong also noted a "significant increase" in inquiries for will writing service of late. He said this could be due to rising public awareness on the importance of having a will, or the occurrence of unfortunate incidents such as Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and…
A tax battle is brewing over his $83 million estate, pitting Mr. Clancy’s wife against the adult children of his former marriage. His widow Alexandra Clancy is taking legal steps aimed at shifting all state and federal estate taxes—estimated in court papers at as much as $16 million—to the portion of the…
Several recent celebrity estate issues in the news highlight how important it is to plan ahead and get professional advice when setting up your estate plans. When celebrities pass away, aspects of their estates hit the news almost immediately. These high-profile cases can offer some valuable lessons for the rest…
After nearly 20 years of litigation and fighting in the press, the conflict between the estates of Anna Nicole Smith and her billionaire husband J. Howard Marshall has been resolved. A celebrity estate battle that held center state in Houston gives us another valuable estate planning lesson. A recent WealthManagement.com…
Lauren Bacall's loss of husband Humphrey Bogart when her children were young does point to some of the issues surviving spouses face when there is a difference of age of 20 years or more. Of course, May-December marriages don't only happen in Hollywood, and the resources and circumstances can be…
Constantly in the news, it seems like there is a new scam making headlines. One surprising area in which scams are becoming more common is estate planning. Each year, more people fall victim to unscrupulous and unqualified sellers of ineffective estate planning documents. Often, these scammers are door-to-door salesmen or…
If for no other reason, you need a will to name an executor (or executrix). So, do you really need a will? Yes. Really. A recent Forbes article titled "Do I Really Need a Will?" recommends that you should have a will to at least designate an executor or executrix…