You just landed your first “real” job and are looking forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. Your new job is accompanied by a 401k and opening a savings account. You have a car and you are thinking about buying your...more
The untimely death of rapper Takeoff, a member of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop trio Migos—also consisting of rappers Quavo and Offset—left fans, family, and the music industry in shock. Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, Takeoff’s...more
In In re Est. of Hartwell, a trial court granted summary judgment that the applicant to probate a will was not entitled to do so due to the statute of limitations. No. 06-23-00054-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 166 (Tex....more
As estate planning attorneys, a question that often arises with new and prospective clients is, “What happens if I die without a will?” The short answer is this: if you die without a valid will in Massachusetts, state law...more
In Estate of Long, the plaintiff sued trustees and alleged that she was the only child of the decedent and asserted a cause of action for a will contest and a cause of action for a declaratory judgment action in which she...more
New amendments to the Israeli Succession Law came into effect recently. These amendments aim to alleviate the bureaucratic burden involved both in issuing probate orders or inheritance orders and in supervising estate...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has focused us all on necessities and on trying to prepare for an uncertain future. This article outlines why an estate plan is one of those necessities. I Don’t Have an Estate Plan; What Would Happen...more
The 2020 cost of living adjustments of certain dollar amounts under the Colorado Probate Code has been published by the Colorado Department of Revenue. Probate practitioners should be aware of the change in figures related to...more
When Aretha Franklin died last year, it was believed that she died without a will and that her estate, estimated to be worth $80 million, would pass under Michigan’s intestacy laws. In May of this year, however, the personal...more
Probate. The word itself is enough to strike fear into the hearts of elderly individuals and their loved ones. It conjures images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred and bitter disputes among family...more
Despite what one might think, estate planning isn’t limited to only the rich and famous. Previously, avoiding or minimizing federal estate tax liability was a primary motivation for creating an estate plan. But with a...more
The music world was left mourning the death of another legend recently with the passing of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. A woman with a voice full of power and emotion, her death leaves a musical landscape with few (if...more
The 2018 cost of living adjustment list of certain dollar amounts under the Colorado Probate Code has been published by the Colorado Department of Revenue. It is important for probate practitioners to be aware of these...more
Where there’s a will, there’s a way — a way to pass assets to heirs in the manner in which a person wants. However, if an individual dies without a will, assets will be distributed according to state law, regardless of the...more
I’m not typically one to follow pop culture, but in the case of Prince’s lack of an estate plan, I’m following closely how this can serve as an example of how not to do your estate plan. An earlier post discussed the...more
The famed recording artist Prince died leaving an unknown fortune and possibly no will or estate plan to dictate what to do with that fortune. Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, told the probate court in the Minnesota county where...more
I was very saddened to hear of the passing of recording artist Prince on April 21, 2016. As I watched my social media accounts surge with tributes and song lyrics, I allowed myself to reminisce and feel nostalgic about the...more