Category Archives: Wills

  • 01
    Aug 16
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US musician Prince performs during his concert at the Sziget Festival on the Shipyard Island, northern Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011.

Why Prince should have had a Will

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I’m disappointed with Prince. Here’s why. He was in a position of influence because of his popularity, but he left as a legacy a court battle over his estate. And worse than that, he left a trail of emotional trauma and possibly financial damage to his family. First, let me update you on where things stand regarding Prince’s estate. Then I’ll tell you why Prince should have had a Will.

Quick update: According to an article in Reuters, 29 people have had their claims denied in the Prince probate proceeding in Minnesota. These folks (I won’t call them vultures) included a professed secret wife who said the CIA had classified their marriage records as top secret. Among other would-be heirs denied by the court were five people who came forward claiming Prince was their biological or adoptive father. Several others claimed their dad was also Prince’s genetic parent by way of an extramarital affair with his mother. There is no final word on who the heirs will be, since some have to submit to genetic testing.

For all the taboos that Prince pushed against (sexuality in particular), he certainly avoided the taboo of talking about death. And I say this all as a fan. I’m originally from Minnesota. And I saw the movie Purple Rain in my hometown of Winona, Minnesota when it first came out. Also, I’m proud to say that my high school (Cotter High) recorded a jazz band album in the same recording studio where Prince recorded the day before in 1980. (I played alto sax.) We could still smell his cigarette smoke. That was a pretty cool experience.

So … here’s why I’m disappointed with him:

  • His family is having to fight each other (and a bunch of strangers) over who gets what.
  • The lawyers are having a field day raking in fees, which is what Prince would NOT have wanted since he was always so careful to manage his own affairs.
  • The people who are inheriting from his estate are getting a financial windfall. This is a recipe for disaster. Various articles on the internet claim that 70% of lottery winners end up in bankruptcy. I couldn’t find any actual research about this. But from my experience, I would not be surprised about this statistic.
  • He completely missed an opportunity to help causes that he cared about … perhaps teaching music to underprivileged kids.

Anyway, I would like some popular icons and leaders to actually do a good job of planning for their deaths and give us that kind of positive experience. But, then again, I guess that wouldn’t make it in the news because it would be handled quickly and privately.

If you have any questions about Wills or Trusts, give us a call. We regularly handle high net worth estates, including some famous people. We are discrete with our clients. Prince was not my client, otherwise (a) his estate wouldn’t be an issue like it is, and (b) I wouldn’t be bad-talking about him here (because of our obligation of confidentiality).

  • 26
    Oct 15
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Business Owners Need Estate Plans

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Business owners need estate plans in order to ensure their businesses survive once they pass away. Here is why. Let’s say you own a successful business. It has lots of employees and ongoing business. There are contracts that need to be completed, and staff that needs to be paid. Then you die. You have a Will that names your spouse as the Personal Representative (executor). However, Wills need to be probated, and normally the soonest that can happen is one week from the date of death. Assuming there aren’t any hangups (such as the Will failing to waive bond), the surviving spouse can be appointed as Personal Representative right away.

But a week can be an eternity in the business world. Employment laws dictate that payroll needs to be paid within a certain time after the pay period ends. And what if there are employees in the field who need expenses covered?

Also, who is going to manage the business until it gets sold? Selling a business can’t be done in a matter of days. It takes time. Can your business last the months is normally takes to find a buyer and arrange a sale?

Here is the best way to plan ahead of time. The best way to plan ahead is to have a revocable trust that names a responsible (and business savvy) trustee to take over if you can no longer manage your business. Then make sure that your trust owns the business. If your business is an LLC, the member of the business needs to be the trust. (In other words, you will file Articles of Amendment for your LLC that replaces you as the member with, for example, “John Doe, Trustee of the ABC Trust, dated January 1, 2014.”) Make sure the trust language permits the trustee to manage an ongoing business, and that it permits the trustee to delegate the responsibility of managing the business to a replacement business manager.

NOTE: The word “manager” is used in two different ways here, and it can be confusing. The “manager” of an LLC is the person listed with the Secretary of State as the person in charge of the LLC. However, in terms of managing a business, that may be completely different people. I normally assist clients in this regard by having the LLC Manager (the person named as the official manager on the Articles of Organization) sign a Resolution naming one or more assistant managers. These assistant managers are the people who are actually on the ground running the business: making sure that paychecks get signed, continuing marketing efforts, meeting with clients, etc.

You can read more on this topic at an enterprise.com article here.

Have you heard of situations in which the business owner died and the business struggled as a result? Do you have any insights? Please share below.

  • 15
    Apr 15
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Estate Planning: What Is a Guardianship?

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What Is a GuardianshipAs one generation matures another one needs care. Children are suddenly faced with dealing with their aging parents. This shift of roles, however natural it may seem, can be difficult. Illness, injury or long-term condition can leave a parent or loved one needing a little (or a lot) of extra help.

Legal guardianship may be necessary to allow you to help your loved one(s) make the legal, financial and healthcare decisions that are needed for their well-being.

A legal guardianship comes with a number of responsibilities. First, let’s define a few terms:

Guardianship. The legal right given to a person who will be responsible for assisting a person who is deemed to be fully or partially incapable of providing for him- or herself.

Guardian. The person granted guardianship over an incapacitated person

Ward (called an Incapacitated Person in Arizona). A person who is deemed to be fully or partially incapable of providing for him- or herself.

A guardian makes decisions about how the ward lives. These decisions include:

  • It’s important to make sure your ward is getting regular, healthy meals. Malnutrition is common in the elderly.
  • Doctors’ appointments, administering medication, ensuring the ward gets regular checkups are all an important part of guardianship.
  • If your loved on is not safe living alone, it is the guardian’s responsibility to arrange and pay for housing from the estate funds or government benefits. (The guardian is not personally responsible for paying for this expense out of pocket.)
  • Annual reporting. Filing annual guardian reports with the court is also one of a guardian’s responsibilities.

The guardian should assist the ward in maintaining as much independence and autonomy as possible, and should consider the ward’s value system, religious beliefs, wants and desires when making decisions on the ward’s behalf.

Guardianship has its limitations, and it certainly isn’t a magic wand. As a guardian, you cannot force your ward to take medications or to be more compliant. But you can make a difference in the overall care of a ward. And in especially tough situations a guardian can work with the courts to get a court order to make sure the ward in question gets the care and support needed.

Acting as guardian for an aging parent or loved one is an important role. Loved ones may need your help with the most intimate care as they age, which can be demanding and draining. And fraught with uncertainty regarding your responsibility and your ability to take action.

If you have any questions about legal guardianships, I’d love to help. Leave a comment below or contact our office.

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  • 18
    Mar 15
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Estate Planning Basics: Trust Assets and Probate Assets

Estate Planning Basics Trust Assets and Probate AssetsEstate planning isn’t just for the wealthy. It’s an important element of protecting the people you love and the legacy you want to leave behind. An estate is made up of assets.

Assets can be any form of cash, physical property or intangible benefits. These include:

•  A house
•  other real estate
•  business interests
•  stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
•  money-market accounts
•  brokerage accounts
•  royalty contracts, patents, and copyrights
•  jewelry and antiques
•  precious metals
•  works of art
•  valuable collections

For estate-planning purposes, assets fall into two main categories: trust assets and probate assets. Assets held within a trust [link to post on trusts] are referred to as trust assets. Assets that are not within the trust are called probate assets. I’d like to outline the two, and show why creating trust assets is preferable in estate planning.

Trust assets

The advantage of putting assets into a trust include reduced estate taxes and greater control in how your descendants will receive their inheritance. When you put your assets into a trust, you no longer own the assets legally, which become known as trust assets.

You can decide what you’d like to be put into a trust, to become a trust asset, and you do this by having the item or property or deed officially given to the trust, with a title in the form of a deed or other legal documentation. For example, a certificate of title for a car owned by a trust should show John Doe, Trustee, or something similar indicates that it’s the trust that owns the asset, and not John Doe himself. There are various ways to transfer property such as jewelry, art, coins and other collectables, and an estate planning attorney can assist with this.

Probate assets

All assets that are not included in the trust are probate assets. A court proceeding is necessary to determine how these probate assets can be distributed. Thus, it makes sense to consider assigning assets to a trust, to avoid having your heirs go through probate court to receive any legacies you have assigned them.

The actual act of transferring assets to a trust can be a bit complicated and challenging, even for an attorney who has some experience with this process. But it’s worth the time to work with an experienced estate attorney to set up a trust for assets so that your estate can run smoothly.

Get help from someone who is skilled in estate planning and probate. It’s critical that you have legal documentation that the trust owns the assets. Without such documentation, these assets cannot be distributed as part of the trust and, as I mentioned, they’re considered probate assets.

The consequences of a poorly planned estate can affect not only the peace of mind of your survivors, but can be detrimental to the value and distribution of the assets you leave behind.

Find an experienced attorney who is familiar with probate law and asset protection in your state to protect your family and protect your legacy. [link to service line questionnaire]

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