Q. I’m working on my estate planning documents and am putting lots of thought into them, especially what I want done with my ancestral home and my ancestral art collection. I have some very old and rare original artwork passed down from my ancestors that are quite valuable. I want to make sure they are […]
Why Are People So Afraid of Estate Planning?
Q. I read your recent article on Aretha Franklin’s multiple handwritten wills and the family strife that ensued for five years after she died. The situation provided a great example for why all of us should have properly written estate planning documents in place and how this is something that should never be DIY! As […]
August Is National Make-A-Will Month!
Dear Raider, I read somewhere that August is National Make-A-Will Month. My wife and I are thinking about doing our estate planning soon but feel like we should be more prepared prior to getting started. What do you suggest I get in order before we get the process going to simplify things? Thanks for your […]
Aretha Franklin’s Sons Clash in Court Over Handwritten Wills
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died five years ago, in 2018, at age 76 from pancreatic cancer. Through her six-decade career in the music business, she left behind a legacy that included over 75 million record sales, 17 Top 10 hits, and 112 charted Billboard singles! Sadly, after five years, Franklin’s legacy and $80 […]
How Does Estate Planning Work for Multigenerational Living Arrangements?
Q. To save money, my parents, my husband and I, and our daughter and her family all live under one roof in a much bigger home than any of us could afford alone in Northern Virginia. With this living arrangement, I can care for my mother, who is in the early stages of dementia, and […]
Procrastination and Estate Planning: How to Avoid These Disaster Scenarios
Q. My husband keeps procrastinating when it comes to wanting to do our estate planning. I brought up some things that could happen when someone dies without proper planning in place, but it hasn’t been enough to convince him. Can you share some truly eye-opening disaster scenarios to help me persuade him to get started? […]
Are Large Inheritances Damaging to the Next Generation? Some Celebrities Think So
Some high net worth individuals, including some celebrities, are increasingly worried about how much of their fortunes, if any, to give to their kids. A couple years ago, CNN host Anderson Cooper announced that his son, Wyatt, would not receive an inheritance. According to Cooper, “I don’t believe in passing on huge amounts of money.” […]
Making your Own Luck this St. Patrick’s Day!
Dear Hayek, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m feeling very lucky this year. I met the love of my life and I feel like the third time is the charm. We are getting married and blending our families. I do believe in luck, but I also want to plan. What are some estate planning steps we […]
My Mom Had a Will, But It Was Useless
Q. I always had a good relationship with my mother. We would have lots of open conversations and talk about almost everything! If she ever got sick or traveled overseas, she would remind me that she had a will, and I of course believed her and I assumed it was enough and that we were […]
How to Successfully Approach the Topic of Estate Planning with Loved Ones
Dear Raider, I’ve decided to get my estate planning documents in order, but I want to talk to my family first. Estate planning isn’t an easy topic to broach. Do you have any suggestions for how I can bring it up and what we should discuss? Thanks for your help! Khan Versashun — Dear Khan, […]
Estate Planning for Your Valuable Collections
Collections of memorabilia, no matter what they are, are often important to their owners and sometimes very valuable. Whether it is paintings, classic cars, antiques, coins, stamps, sports memorabilia, rugs, books, or rare manuscripts, people collect items for a variety of reasons. These often include a passion or expression of their personalities, an expected return […]
Celebrity Estate Planning: Lessons Learned from Lisa Marie Presley and tWitch
Celebrities may be wealthy, but despite their money and popularity, they make mistakes too. One area where we’ve seen lots of costly mistakes is in estate planning, where certain actions (or lack of taking any action at all) can trigger years of court battles or cost their heirs millions of dollars. The mistakes celebrities have […]
Our 22 Top Articles of 2022
Those who read our newsletter or follow our blog know that we covered a lot of ground this past year. The COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency has been in place for more than two and a half years at this time, and although things feel much more normal now, new variants are still emerging. Luckily, […]
Our Top 10 Spookiest Articles of 2022
2022 has been a bit of a frightening year, but not nearly as scary as recent years past! Since Halloween is in less than a week, it’s an ideal time to catch up on some of the scariest elder law, estate planning, and special needs planning articles of the year. From loved ones helping their […]
Why Are So Many Young People Having Strokes?
Stroke prevention efforts are most often focused on older adults. That’s because 60% of strokes happen in adults 65 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many don’t realize that strokes are becoming much more common at a younger age, as well. Let’s look at rapper Kid Cudi, who entered […]
What if I Don’t Want a Funeral?
Q. When a family friend died last year, his family made it clear there wouldn’t be a traditional funeral service for him. At first I thought this was because of the pandemic, but now I’m not so sure. Instead, they held a celebration of his life on his next birthday, almost a year after his […]
Why Would Someone Want to Preplan Their Funeral?
Dear Angel, My father told me yesterday that he is preplanning and prepaying for his funeral. I just listened as he spoke, but didn’t ask any questions. It was such a serious topic that I didn’t want to look disrespectful by questioning him. But, maybe you can tell me . . . why would someone […]
Naomi Judd Left Daughters Out of Her Will — Validity of Document Is Now Being Questioned
Naomi Judd, who struggled with severe depression for years, died by suicide at age 76 on April 30, 2022. She is survived by her husband of 32 years, musician Larry Strickland, and her two daughters, duo partner/country singer Wynonna Judd, 58, and actress/activist Ashley Judd, 54. Naomi died a day before she and her daughter […]
The Nightmare of Probate: Prince’s Estate Took Six Years to Settle
In 2016, the legendary musician and actor Prince died of a fentanyl overdose. He left behind an incredible legacy, significant assets, many relatives, and, unfortunately, no will and no trust. It took six years and tens of millions of dollars in legal fees, but the heirs and the IRS agreed that his estate was worth […]
Is a Family Caregiver Entitled to Compensation from an Estate for Their Caregiving Services?
Q. I am the trustee of my parents’ trust. They have now both passed away. My brother helped perform minimal long-distance caregiving for them over the last five years, and he spent about a year and a half toward the end as a live-in caregiver in their home in Virginia Beach. I was taken aback […]
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