Sharon Osbourne (wife of the late rock and roll singer, Ozzy Osbourne) once said, “I don’t want someone who has never met my husband owning his name and likeness and selling t-shirts everywhere. No, it stays in the Osbourne family.” However, did he have proper estate...
Malcolm LaVergne, the special administrator of O.J. Simpson’s estate, has sued Primary Holdings, LLC, owned by O.J. Simpson’s son, Justin Simpson, for claiming that he is the owner of O.J. Simpson’s Las Vegas home. Originally, O.J. purchased the home with the help of Primary Holdings, LLC,...
Although the One Big Beautiful Bill signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, may not directly impact nursing homes, such skilled nursing facilities are likely to feel the pinch. Medicaid is a joint program between the federal and state governments. Most nursing homes in...
Jimmy Buffett’s widow and co-trustee of his trust, Jane Slagsvol, and his longtime financial advisor, accountant, and co-trustee of his trust, Richard Mozenter, have filed suits to remove each other as a trustee. The trust estate is worth an estimated $275 million dollars (which includes...
Many accumulate frequent flyer miles or loyalty rewards for traveling with airlines. However, most of the larger commercial airlines do not permit mileage or points to transfer upon the death of the person who accumulated the mileage or points (the “member”). The policies of each...
The estate planning of Brian Wilson, the legendary co-founder and primary songwriter of the Beach Boys, was a mixed bag. Wilson, whose death was announced on June 11, 2025, had a revocable living trust, which was likely beneficial in numerous ways, ranging from probate avoidance...
Have you ever been notified of a friend’s birthday even after their death? Sometimes family members (parent, sibling, child, spouse) or executors fail to notify Facebook of the account holder’s death. Instead of doing nothing, there are 2 options: (1) deletion of the account or...
The last will and testament of Frank Fritz (who was a star on the popular television show “American Pickers” on the History Channel) has been challenged by his father, Bill Fritz, due to lack of capacity. Frank was a co-host on the show (where he and...
A California appeals court has ruled that neither Damian Hurley (whose mother is famous actress, Elizabeth Hurley) nor Kira Bonder, the illegitimate children of the late Stephen Bing, could receive hundreds of millions of trust funds from their paternal grandfather, Dr. Peter Bing, since they...
Although there is unlimited equity limit of a homestead to be excluded as a countable resource if the applicant for long term-care Medicaid is married and the non-applicant spouse lives in the community (the community spouse), there is a $730,000 equity limit in 2025 if...
Unlike the last will and testament that one might consider in the United States, the last will and testament of Pope Francis focused on where he should be buried (Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome) where he had prayed often. His will stated “I...
Senator Ted Cruz has introduced a bill called the “Invest America Act” which would establish a “Trump account” with $1000 for children born after July 4, 2026, who are U.S. citizen with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizens at the time of...
There are numerous Medicaid programs that require a pay-back of governmental benefits advanced after the death of the Medicaid recipient. This is most common is if the will of the deceased is probated or under the laws of intestacy (when the Medicaid recipient doesn’t have...
Oscar winning movie star, Gene Hackman, died on February 18, 2025, about a week after his wife, Betsy Arakawa. The couple lived in New Mexico, a community property state. They wed in 1991. Hackman had a large estate estimated to be around eighty million dollar...
For the past several years, we have reported on many ongoing court cases concerning celebrities of their estate planning or court cases contesting their planning. The following are a few of the updates since our previous articles: RUPERT MURDOCH -Murdoch failed in his attempt to...
The most valuable asset that many own is their home. However, sometimes creditors sue to collect debts such as credit card bills, medical bills, personal loans, etc. Bankruptcy can protect your homestead from unsecured creditors – especially if you choose a Texas bankruptcy exemption. Although...
Will the battle over Charles Manson’s $1 million estate last longer than the time Manson spent in prison (Manson actually spent 47 years in jail until his death in 2017)? The court case has been ongoing for over 7 years. On February 21, 2025, a...
It is not unusual for someone who lives in another state at the time of his or her death but owns real estate (including mineral interests) or other tangible personal property such as livestock, vehicles, collectables or business interests in Texas. The state of Texas...
Antonia and Johanna Bennett have sued their brother, Danny, who has served as trustee of the Tony Bennett Family Trust, for mismanagement. Tony’s daughters claim Danny made “multiple gifts to himself totaling over $200,000 from the trust, $2.6 million in commissions for acting as Tony’s...
Little Richard’s Brother Says “Good Golly, Miss Molly” After Being Removed as Co-executor and Losing Share of Estate The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that Little Richard’s brother lose a share of the publicity rights to Little Richard’s estate after thwarting a proposed sale of...
