Aesop’s Fable of the hard working Ant and the all-play Cricket holds true for Individuals who inherit a great deal of wealth and just want to play.  Most families include both types in all generations. A recent piece in Forbesdescribes two extremes seen in people who inherit large amounts of wealth.  The article, “(Some) Inheritors […]

Selecting an individual to serve as a trustee is a challenging process, and the usual default is to a family member. But that’s not always the best solution. Here are some points to consider on the selection of a trustee. One of the toughest decisions in estate planning centers on selecting a trustworthy family member […]

It is more likely that your family will come to blows over Great Grandmother’s favorite serving platter than over a bank account.  Sentimental value attached to minor items are more likely to cause upset and drama, and those are the items most often left out of estate plans. For most people, it is not the […]

A New York woman went to court to force a DNA test to prove that the man on her birth certificate was not her father.  Unfortunately, it involved digging up a grave. Yes, this one is ripped right from the headlines – in this case, from the New York Post, which is infamous for its colorful […]

Known for his movies about fast cars, Paul Walker owned a large number of very expensive cars. A lawsuit alleges that a number of these cars were taken within 24 hours of his death by an acquaintance – but it is unclear how many vehicles he owned. Actor Paul Walker’s life was all about fast cars […]

“A widow gets bombarded with all the things she’ll have to do, so it’s essential to have everything as organized and up-to-date as possible.” The thought of losing your spouse is tough, but inevitably one spouse will pass before the other. With women living longer than men, they need to be prepared in the case […]

A court-ordered mediator would help the parties put the “final touches” on an agreement, Eric Barnum, Bernice King’s lawyer, told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney during a hearing. McBurney said he would appoint a mediator, with a goal of completing an agreement by Sept. 30. Reuters reported the story in a recent article […]

A Florida widow who expected to be kept afloat for life by her shipping-magnate hubby’s wealth is suing her stepkids in Manhattan for sinking her stipend. Christine De Galvis claims that when she met shipping mogul Robert Pierot Sr. the two fell instantly in love. She says that the two were married in 1996, and […]

The Giving Pledge emphasizes that it’s a moral pledge. This distinction has a very real legal purpose: it eliminates the ability of Giving Pledge signers to sue fellow billionaires who fail to give, according to David Scott Sloan, an attorney and national head of the estate law practice at Holland & Knight. Bill Gates and […]

The desk-calendar entry for 11:30 a.m. on July 3, 1973, reads simply, “Watergate meeting.” It wouldn’t be of much importance except for the author of the hand-written note: former Washington Post editor Benjamin C. Bradlee, who was then deep in the midst of directing the newspaper’s coverage of a scandal that would eventually bring down […]