The recent popular murder mystery movie “Knives Out” delves into several key estate planning topics (such as Will contests and undue influence) during this whodunnit thriller. In the movie, a wealthy man changes his Will shortly before he was murdered. Since his family members feel jilted,...
Estate planning is not simply protecting your assets or having a Will and a power of attorney. It is a plan whereby you are in control of your assets during your lifetime when you are well and to protect you if you should become disabled...
Barron Hilton, who helped make the name “Hilton” synonymous with hotels and one of the hotel industry’s leading brand names, has left the bulk (97%) of his estate worth billions to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation established for his father Conrad...
A California judge has required a DNA test of Jason Freeman, who claims to be the “grandson” of notorious murderer Charles Manson, to determine if he is a possible heir of Manson who died in 2017. The request was made by Michael Channels, a memorabilia...
Parents own homestead as their major asset. Their health is beginning to decline, and neither of them have long-term care insurance or enough income or assets to pay for long-term care. As a result, if either of them needs long-term care, Medicaid is likely to...
Sometimes clients ask questions where the answer differs as to legality versus morality. As a result, the attorney should be prepared to be both counselor at law and not just an attorney at law. A couple examples of actual cases (all dealing with an inheritance) illustrate...
Client, a 78 year old widow in the early stages of experiencing dementia, creates an irrevocable trust which gives her the right to occupy her homestead which was deeded into the trust. Her goal was to save her homestead (or the proceeds therefrom if sold...
As a result of less employer-sponsored pension plans and the desire of Congress to encourage savings for retirement, it is anticipated that Congress will pass the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act later this year as it has bipartisan support. It will...
If a Texas resident dies (the “decedent”) without a Will (“intestate”) and the estate assets are less than $75,000 (excluding exempt property such as a homestead if it retains its homestead status when there is a surviving spouse and minor children of the decedent in...
When world famous Chanel fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld died on February 19, 2019, it has been widely speculated that a good portion of his estimated estate of more than $150,000,000.00 will be inherited by his Birman cat, Choupette, if proper legal planning was prepared. Lagerfeld...
