In part due to questions about his true intentions as expressed in his will and trust, Brando’s estate was involved in more than two dozens lawsuits by 2009 — five years after his death. He passed away on July 1, 2004, at 80 years of age, suffering from a host…
Articles Posted in Wills
Your Houston Estate Plan Check Up
Once the basic documents are in place, they should be revisited periodically. If there is a major change in your circumstances- good or bad, your attorney should know. How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along for your finances and estate plan? Fox News recently posted some tips in an…
Financial and Estate Planning Houston Parents
While not all encompassing, these guides serve as a starting point to help your parents. There are many family dynamics at play when these types of planning conversations arise, so you need to be cognizant of patterns and relationships. Starting earlier will reap dividends for everyone; delaying these conversations can…
Elder Abuse Accusation in DJ Casey Kasem’s Estate Feud
"Detectives are still actively investigating the elder abuse case," LAPD spokesperson Jane Kimtold THR. "They want to be as thorough as possible before a case is presented to the DA's office." The hits just keep coming in DJ Casey Kasem’s estate battle. The Hollywood Reporter quoted private investigator Logan Clarke…
Blending Families? Estate Planning a Must for Houston Families
Blended families without a proper estate plan for wealth transfer could run into additional obstacles not observed by traditional families. For example, state inheritance rules, intestate laws, and conflicts in beneficiary designations could be inconsistent with the will. In addition, a disinheritance of new family members without the knowledge of…
Lessons Learned from Robin Williams’ Estate Battle
There’s barely a person over the age of 40 or so who does not come with a family squabble about, well, things following the death of a well-loved parent, grandparent, or family friend. Even Robin Williams, who planned his estate well, could not avoid a family feud after his passing.…
Houston Families: Money-Makers (or Money-Savers) for NOW
Here are money tasks to do this week that will help 2015 be more prosperous. Most can be done in about an hour. As reported in a Chicago News Service article titled “Got an hour? Tackle these money tasks,” a recent survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education found…
High Wage Earners in Houston Should Mind Tax Tips
There is less emphasis on estate taxes because the exemption—$5.43 million per person—is so high now. But income taxes are higher, so know what you are in for. Maybe the estate tax doesn’t apply to you, but what about rising income taxes? How should you plan accordingly? According to a…
Can You Get Out of Dodge?
One attorney calls it the "Get out of Dodge plan"—the best way to keep your assets intact before applying for Medicaid to cover nursing home costs. New Jersey is one of the most restrictive states when it comes to permitting residents to preserve assets for their benefit while Medicaid pays…
Seven Financial Tips for Houston Families
Here are seven things you can do this month to positively impact your finances all year. Want to start the New Year off right when it comes to your finances? The Las Vegas Review-Journal article, titled “7 ways to give your finances a facelift in January,”cites some things you can…