Arizona Estate Planning

Anna Nicole Smith’s Estate Struck Down by Supreme Court

CNN: The estate of the late actress Anna Nicole Smith has lost a Supreme Court appeal in a longstanding fight to secure a share of her deceased husband's fortune.

The 5-4 ruling Thursday was the latest chapter in a tedious legal soap opera, over the kind of evidence a separate bankruptcy court may hear when deciding various claims and counterclaims. State courts generally hear probate cases, while bankruptcy proceedings are confined to federal courts. The high court's 38-page decision will now likely put an end to this particular legal dispute.

On the Net2016-12-13T20:33:46-08:00June 23rd, 2011|Estate Fights, Rich & Famous|

John Steinbeck’s Heirs Copyright Dispute Won’t Be Heard by Supreme Court

Estate of Denial: A messy legal dispute over the publication rights to many of John Steinbeck’s famous works was denied further review by the Supreme Court, the justices announced Monday.

The legendary author’s only surviving son and sole grandchild filed notice seeking to regain control of the copyrights that had been signed away in 1938. But lower courts have ruled that the pair’s application is invalid because of an agreement Steinbeck’s third wife Elaine made 17 years ago.

Over the years, Congress has passed several laws allowing for artists or their heirs to assume control over copyrighted work decades after the fact. The laws were created as an acknowledgment that creative works often don’t realize their full commercial value until well after their initial publication.

On the Net2016-12-13T20:33:46-08:00June 15th, 2011|Estate Fights, Estate Planning, Rich & Famous|

$17.5 Million Insurance Fight for Michael Jackson Estate

The Probate Lawyer Blog: Legal controversy has surrounded the Estate of Michael Jackson ever since he died almost two years ago. Trial & Heirs did a year in review article last year; it’s almost time for year two. You can now add a new lawsuit — over $17.5 million worth of life insurance — to the list.

Concert promoter AEG Live took out the large life insurance policy over Michael Jackson in case he died and was unable to perform the “This Is It” concert tour. Of course, that’s exactly what happened, showing that AEG was smart to take that precaution. Reportedly, AEG spent some $20 to $25 million on the tour before the King of Pop’s death, and this insurance was supposed to protect that investment.

On the Net2016-12-13T20:33:46-08:00June 14th, 2011|Estate Fights, Rich & Famous|

Interesting Will Requests

Forbes: Are you thinking of making a strange request in your will? Check out 10 strange requests some celebrities made in their last will in testament.

On the Net2016-12-13T20:33:46-08:00June 1st, 2011|Estate Planning, Rich & Famous|

Conservatorship Prevents Brittney Spears From Marriage?

FOXNEWS: Brittney Spears' parents seek to prevent her from testifying in court. Although the article acknowledges Britney's improvement, it illustrates the significant restraints a conservatorship can place on one's life. Brittney's father has complete control over Britney's financial assets, and he can even prevent her from marrying her boyfriend. Estate of Denial has a good synopsis on the effects a conservatorship can have on one's life:

“Though the term conservatorship or guardianship can conjure an image of a nurturing, protective relationship, the status typically means that the conserved person (or ward) loses basic rights, such as the ability to sign contracts, vote, marry or divorce, buy or sell real estate, or make decisions about medical procedures.”

On the Net2016-12-13T20:33:47-08:00May 31st, 2011|Estate Fights, Estate Planning, Rich & Famous|

Grease Star’s Girlfriend and Family Fight Over Whether To End Life Support

Jeff Conway, the actor who played Kenickie in Grease, fell into a coma on May, 11 and has been on life support ever since. His family wanted to end life support; however, his girlfriend claimed she had a medical power of attorney giving her control of the actor's healthcare decisions. From the Daily Mail:

“Grease star Jeff Conaway's family have decided to turn off his life support machine, according to reports…His ventilator was then set to be removed, until Vikki Lizzi contacted the hospital. ‘Vikki has the power of attorney and also has a living trust from 2007 that names her as a guarantor of the trust,' a source told Radar. ‘The hospital has assured the attorney they won’t do anything until they re-read the trust.'”

On the Net2011-05-27T14:03:04-07:00May 27th, 2011|Estate Fights, Rich & Famous|

Giving To Dogs

The Probate Lawyer Blog: Leona Helmsley, “The Queen of Mean,” had a soft spot in her heart for dogs. Helmsley died with an estate valued between four and five billion dollars. She directed the trustees of the trust to give a substantial portion of her estate to charities benefiting dogs such as the humane society. The article provides:

“Helmsley left most of the remainder of her billions to charity, specifically directing that her trustees were to use their discretion for what charitable purposes to benefit. But she also signed a Mission Statement that instructed the trustees to exercise that discretion first for “purposes related to the provision of care for dogs” and, only secondly, for “such other charitable activities as the Trustees shall determine.”

On the Net2016-12-13T20:33:47-08:00May 23rd, 2011|Estate Fights, Rich & Famous|