You may remember a movie from 15 or so years ago called “My Life,” starring Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman, in which a terminally ill man films a video for his unborn child to watch after the man passes away after a fight with cancer. The father essentially wanted the child to know who the father [...]
Archive for the ‘In the news’ Category
Videotaping As Possible Way To Preclude Estate, Trust & Probate Litigation
Posted in In the news, Interpretation of wills/trusts, Will contests, tagged beneficiary, conflict of interest, estate, estate planning, Michael Keaton, My Life, Nicole Kidman, trust, Wall Street Journal, will on December 8, 2009 |
New Book And Television Series Coming Out About Estate, Trust & Probate Battles
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, In the news, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, Will contests, tagged book, conspiracy, documents, estate, fortune, fraud, lawsuit, money, movie, probate, prominent, television, Trial And Heirs, trust, TV on December 3, 2009 |
The estate, trust, and probate disputes and lawsuits that one reads about in the newspapers and which we commonly see in our law practice can seem like a television or movie drama. Common threads running through these battles frequently include prominent characters in the community, tales of large sums of money flying around, allegations of complex conspiracies, questions regarding [...]
Avoiding Estate, Trust & Probate Litigation
Posted in Accounting actions, Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of executors, Duties of trustees, In the news, Interpretation of wills/trusts, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, Self-dealing, Will contests, tagged Abraham Lincoln, beneficiaries, bypass, distribution, estate litigation, estate planning, fraud, intentions, no-contest, probate litigation, surprise, trust department, trust litigation, trusts, U.S. News, undue influence on November 30, 2009 |
Since one of my areas of practice is estate, trust & probate litigation, it is obviously not in my economic self-interest to counsel against getting involved in this type of litigation in the first place. However, first and foremost is a lawyer’s duty to his or her client, which while sometimes involves filing or defending a [...]
Michael Jackson’s Father Making Push For Allowance And Say-So In Deceased Son’s Estate
Posted in Duties of executors, In the news, Interpretation of wills/trusts, Rights of beneficiaries, tagged allowance, challenge, children, control, duties, estate litigation, executor, litigation, michael jackson, probate litigation, will on November 11, 2009 |
At my house we just started giving allowances to our kids so long as they do certain chores around the house, and hopefully the experiment will teach them a number of lessons including personal responsibility, teamwork, the value of hard work, budgeting, saving, etc. Each of our children will receive one dollar (per year of their age) [...]
Legendary College Football Coach’s Son Sues Stepmom Over Trust Obligations
Posted in Accounting actions, Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of trustees, In the news, Rights of beneficiaries, tagged accounting, arkansas, assets, beneficiary, college, conference, confidentiality, football, gamecocks, mallett, michigan, petrino, razorback, schembechler, south carolina, trust, wolverine on November 8, 2009 |
We’re in the heart of the 2009 college football season and the Arkansas Razorbacks are having a better year than last year under second-year Coach Bobby Petrino (thank goodness), although losing against the Florida Gators a couple of weeks ago still stings. Transfer Ryan Mallett had a fantasic game yesterday against the South Carolina Gamecocks, and it [...]
Modern Recordkeeping Fraught With Potential For Abuse When Individuals Die
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of executors, Duties of trustees, In the news, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, Self-dealing, tagged administrator, assets, computer, digital, estate planning, lawsuit, liabilities, recordkeeping on October 28, 2009 |
An interesting article on msnbc.com from a few days ago sheds light on how modern day estate planning probably needs to catch up with the practicalities of modern day life. Specifically, the article’s author discusses how, years ago, when an individual died the survivors typically conducted a search of the house, papers, safety deposit box, etc. in order [...]
Children Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Settle Dispute Over Father’s Estate
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of executors, In the news, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, tagged assets, children, estate litigation, executor, jury trial, Martin Luther King, property rights, siblings on October 24, 2009 |
Anyone who knows me is aware of my admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a speaker, preacher, writer, community activist, and proponent of peace and nonviolence. Many do not appreciate the fact that he was much bigger than a mere advocate for racial equality, but rather was a warrior for the larger causes of social and economic justice. [...]
Last Will And Testament Of Entertainer Michael Jackson
Posted in In the news, Interpretation of wills/trusts, tagged beneficiaries, michael jackson, will on October 3, 2009 |
Michael Jackson’s recent death shocked the world, notwithstanding his controversial and mysterious past. The famous singer will not soon be forgotten, however, if nothing else because of the money, property, and incredible fortune that he left behind to his heirs. Word is that he had incurred substantial debt at the time of his death, but royalties alone from his catalogue of [...]
