Estate planning with one family is hard enough. For families with a mix of biological children and stepchildren, first spouses and second spouses, making out an equitable will can seem impossible. When The Brady Bunch first aired, part of its appeal was the novelty of two families blending together. However, today that is normal for many American […]

Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has launched a legal challenge against the former South African leader’s will insisting she is entitled to the rural estate where he is buried. Can an ex-spouse get their hands on one’s estate after they have passed? It all depends on where they reside and the planning in place. Nelson […]

When the team’s owner died in March, crucial details of his wishes weren’t in a will, but in a trust agreement, which is not public information. Ever since Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson, Jr. passed away, Bills fans have been unsure of their team’s future. Will the team stay in Buffalo? Unfortunately, Wilson never made […]

In a recent case out of Washington State, the Court of Appeals held that the state’s anti-lapse statute applies to constructive death of beneficiary. A recent Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog, titled “New Case: In re Estate of Evans,” reported on the Washington State Court of Appeals decision regarding the case of In re […]

Some attorneys and judges believe that as the Baby Boom generation ages there will be an increase in the number of probate challenges to wills. A recent case in South Carolina is an extreme example of this. When Charles Deal, Sr., passed away his only surviving family members were a stepdaughter and a middle-aged, disabled […]

If you own a family business, take a lesson from this potential crisis brewing now in Taiwan. In Taiwan it is normal for even extremely large multinational businesses to follow the traditional Chinese model: one person founds the business and continues to run the day to day operations. When the founder passes away, the business […]

Normally you cannot inherit someone else’s debt. However, there are key exceptions, as this  California couple’s story shows. A recent article in the Christian Post, titled “Grieving Pastor Parents Inherit Deceased Daughter’s $200,000 School Loan Debt; Salaries Can’t Even Cover Minimum Payments,” tells the story of the Mason family of Redlands, California. Steve and Danielle […]

When might a police commission get involved with estate litigation? When a new will created after a patient was diagnosed with dementia leaves nearly $3 million to a previously-unnamed beneficiary … who just happens to be a police sergeant. In 2009 Geraldine Webber made a will to divide her estate. This will left one-fourth of […]

Discussing your estate plans with your adult children may be the single best defense against leaving a legacy of family strife and division. A recent New York Times article, titled “What’s Almost as Certain as Death? Not Talking About the Inheritance,” details a new report revealing that the majority of Americans do not discuss their […]

It’s not every day that financial advisers and accountants are called in to referee billion-dollar disputes over the ownership of a basketball team, but nevertheless there are plenty of valuable takeaways from the Sterlings’ duel in probate court. When Shelly Sterling removed her husband, Donald Sterling, as co-trustee of the family trust that owns the […]