Another celebrity death and another lesson in estate planning mistakes. Lisa Marie Presley, the recently deceased daughter of Elvis Presley is the focus of a recent case before the Los Angeles Superior Court. The plaintiff is Lisa Marie’s mother, Priscilla Presley. The lawsuit focuses on estate planning basics. Did Lisa Marie properly sign and execute […]
Children sometimes steal from their parents. I’m not talking about the petty theft of a minor sneaking into dad’s wallet. The greater concern is with adult children caring for elderly parents. The Maryland Appellate Court has made it clear that the unauthorized taking of funds from a parent’s account is theft. The Appellate Court of […]
What do Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania all have in common? These six states are the only states to collect an inheritance tax. In addition to an estate tax, these states tax the transfer of wealth to the beneficiary. And the results can be severe. Many Maryland estates will be affected by the […]
The late actress Anne Heche committed the cardinal sin of estate planning. She had not executed a will. Heche died after her car crashed into a private home leaving her estate in disarray. Shortly after Heche’s death, a legal dispute arose between her 20-year-old son Homer Laffoon and her ex-partner James Tupper (and father of […]
The most helpful child of an elderly parent should not be trusted. That child might be a devoted caretaker or uplifting companion. When planning the parent’s estate, the helpful child often wants to control the process. That is when the attorney should anticipate that siblings will sue. Here’s why. In a recent New York case, […]
