A Celebrity Estate Plan Lesson (Part 2)
In my post last week I wrote about the trial in the matter of Aretha Franklin’s estate to determine which of two handwritten wills would be admitted as her last will. The case illustrates the reasons why everyone should have a will executed in accordance with state law and preferably typewritten
A Celebrity Estate Plan Lesson (Part 1)
Over the years I have written a number of blog posts about the reasons everyone should have a will and more specifically a formal one. Too many adults don’t and high profile celebrities are no different than the general population. I wrote 10 years ago about the litigation surrounding James Gandolfini’s estate
The Time and Expense of Having No Will
People will sometimes ask me why they need a will if they don’t have any probate assets. This might be because they believe everything is owned jointly with right of survivorship or because they own nothing. It usually turns out, however, that they do own something. It might be a car that is
Biden Tax Plan Begins to Take Shape – Part 2
In my post last week, I reviewed what we know so far about President Biden’s proposed tax law changes. One change would increase the tax rate on capital gains, which currently is taxed at a lower rate than regular income. Another change relates to the provision that wipes out the capital gains tax for
A Do It Yourself Will Gone Bad – Part 1
I recent call I received from Mary illustrates the risks of do it yourself estate planning. In this case Mary and john, her husband prepared their wills using Quicken’s Willmaker software which can be purchased online for less than $100. It couldn’t be easier, right? Hiring an estate planning attorney could cost several hundred to a