From the category archives:

Untimely Death

Michael Jackson living trust revealed

June 3, 2010

With so much exposure and scrutiny on everything that’s happened to Michael Jackson’s estate since he died, it should probably come as no surprise that his living trust has been leaked to the media and made public.  Wills are public documents and available for everyone to read (once they are filed with the probate court [...]

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Michael Jackson executors sorting through requests for money

January 24, 2010

It’s been seven months since the King of Pop died suddenly at the age of 50, and fights surrounding his estate seem like they may last for many years to come. Creditors are coming out of the woodwork, with new ones surfacing on a weekly basis. The latest, a management company, joins a [...]

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New Michael Jackson Estate Deal Reported

November 28, 2009

A couple weeks ago, I wrote how Katherine Jackson had a surprising “change of heart” by dropping her challenge to the executors for Michael’s estate.  In fact, her husband Joe Jackson was shocked — his lawyer called the move “despicable”. 
Well, if this exclusive report from the United Kingdom website News of the World is accurate, we [...]

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Farrah Fawcett’s Trust Provides A Good Lesson

November 19, 2009

It’s been widely reported across various websites in the last couple days that Farrah Fawcett’s will has been revealed and it “shockingly” disinherited her longtime ex-boyfriend Ryan O’Neal (father to her son, Redmond).  These reports are wrong on several levels.

First, the document was her Trust, not her will.  You can read it here, courtesy of [...]

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Katherine Jackson’s Shocking Change Of Heart

November 12, 2009

The Michael Jackson Estate has been the subject of regular court hearings as Katherine Jackson battled for control over the last several months.  She routinely objected to the decisions of the co-executors John Branca and John McClain.  Recently, she hired a new attorney with the promise of taking the case in a new direction, as I [...]

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FBI Investigated Anna Nicole Smith For Murder Of “Step-Son”

October 27, 2009

Probate disputes over whether a will or trust was valid, or instead was signed at at time when the person was mentally incompetent or subject to undue influence, are common.  They’re also very emotional and difficult for everyone involved.  The Anna Nicole Smith case – the Granddaddy of all probate disputes — illustrates this more than any other.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Estate fight Is Resolved

October 27, 2009

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s three children have been fighting with each other in court over control of his estate and financial legacy.  Here are my prior articles about the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate fight.  Two of the three children had sued Dexter King, their brother, who had the legal authority to make decisions regarding [...]

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New evidence coming in the Michael Jackson Estate case

October 26, 2009

The Michael Jackson probate dispute between his mother and his two executors has been active since it started this summer.  But it looks like it’s about to really get heated up.

For starters, Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother and a primary beneficiary (along with his children and unnamed charities), has been challenging decisions made by co-executors John [...]

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Family fight over control of Michael Crichton’s trust

October 20, 2009

Celebrity estate battles just keep coming.  Here’s the UPI article about the latest in a long line of court cases involving dueling heirs of the rich and famous.  Best selling author Michael Crichton (writer of ER and Jurassic Park) left behind a messy estate and trust because he failed to update his estate planning documents to [...]

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Estate fight is resolved

October 20, 2009

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s three children have been fighting with each other in court over control of his estate and financial legacy.  Here are my prior articles about the Martin Luther King, Jr. estate fight.  Two of the three children had sued Dexter King, their brother, who had the legal authority to make decisions regarding [...]

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