As I said in my earlier blog, Michael Jackson's 2002 will was a relatively standard will. Perhaps the most controversial issue is Jackson's decision regarding who he chose to administer his estate. While Jackson clearly appointed his mother, Katherine Jackson to be the guardian for his children, he...

As I suggested in my earlier blog, I did not expect Michael Jackson to have died without a will. As it turns out, it appears that Jackson made a new will in 2002. If this is Jackson's last valid will, the will is a pretty simple and standard...

The orderly transfer of wealth on death is a topic first set out in the Bible. In Numbers -- Chapter 27, the succession of a man's property was strictly outlined and couldn't be deviated from. To this day, we have a similar list of heirs as part of our law....

Welcome back.

In my last blog, I was discussing how litigants in estate fights revert back to the roles that they played in the family throughout their childhood. I discussed the Aggressive One and the Controller last time. This time, I look at a couple more personalities typically found...

The title is a line from Disney's The Lion King. As an estates lawyer, I see Disney stories, from Cinderella (her dad dies leaving everything to her step-mother) to The Lion King ("Why did he get to be King?") as examples of estates gone awry. An occupational hazard, I guess...

Like every relationship it had its ups and downs. But now, after a lifetime of sharing common bonds and memories, they can't even bear to be in the same room with one another.
It's a divorce, but not between spouses. This is a Sibling Divorce -- the result of...