Celebrity Estate Lessons Wellington Burt
Ever wonder what someone does when they want to keep their estate in the family, but hate all their current relatives? Well, lumber baron and East Saginaw, Michigan mayor Wellington Burt came up with one solution. When Burt died in 1919, his Will included a “spite clause” stipulating that his estate was not to be […]
The Escheatment Process In Florida
While few people know the word escheatment, many Florida residents worry about losing property to the state after they die. You don’t have to have a high-value estate to lose property and assets to the Florida escheat process. Instead, what matters is whether you have a valid Will or have surviving family when you die. […]
Determining the Value of Your Estate
An important part of every personal representative’s job in administering a deceased person’s estate is determining the value of that estate. Putting dollar amounts on everything from heirlooms to land can be difficult, but there are professionals that can help complete the asset valuation accurately and on time to get your loved one’s probate estate […]
Celebrity Estate Lessons George Michael
When George Michael died in 2016, he might have had faith that his estate plan was in good shape. His Will left his £97 million estate to his two sisters, father, and seven close friends. However, his Will didn’t include his long-term ex-boyfriend Kenny Goss or his boyfriend-at-the-time Fadi Fawaz. Talk about your loverboy blues. […]
What Is A Pretermitted Spouse?
More Florida residents are having second marriages, multiple divorces, and getting married later in life. This trend carries with it the chance that these residents’ wills may be contested by a pretermitted spouse. But who is that? And what rights does a surviving spouse have to a deceased person’s property when they are left out […]
The Florida Uniform Directed Trust Act: What You Should Know
The Florida Uniform Directed Trust can give you more certainty about how your affairs will be handled after your death – even decades later. By using a directed trust and appointing a professional trust director, you can make sure your family’s interests are protected and your assets are put to their best use long after […]
Celebrity Estate Lessons Ridiculously Wealthy Pets
Celebrity Estate Lessons Ridiculously Wealthy Pets It’s time for another round of ridiculously wealthy pets! Let’s start with one of the world’s best known chimps: Bubbles. Bubbles became famous when he was adopted in the 1980s by Michael Jackson. Michael took him everywhere for a while, including to teatime with the Mayor of Osaka. However, […]
Celebrity Estate Lesson Gene Wilder
Celebrity Estate Lessons Gene Wilder There was an earthly way of knowing which direction Gene Wilder’s estate plan was supposed to be going, because he took the time to have his documents properly drawn up prior to his death in 2016. When it was announced that Wilder had died from complications relating to a three-year-long […]
Can a Beneficiary Designation be Contested?
The structure of a loved one’s estate plan can substantially affect the way their assets are transferred after their death – and to whom. Beneficiary designations on everything from bank accounts to retirement portfolios can remove property from the Florida probate court’s oversight, putting those assets directly in the hands of the named beneficiaries. But […]
Celebrity Estate Lessons – James Gandolfini
You have a will written and you think everything’s going to be fine for your beneficiaries, but will it? Depending on your assets, they might not be inheriting as much as you think because of taxes. When James Gandolfini died in 2013, 80% of his assets were left to his sisters and infant daughter. Because […]