The answer is Yes, absolutely. Our firm represents Administrators and Executors who live outside of California all the time. Our Estate Administrators (also called Executors) live all over the country in fact – Pennsylvania, Florida, Oregon, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, and so forth. Many of them also don’t have the time to travel to...Read More
Michael Jackson’s Estate claimed Jackson’s name and image were valueless upon his death. The IRS strongly disagreed. Can you imagine a world in which pop icon Michael Jackson’s name and image truly have no value?? That is the question at the heart of a recent federal tax court order that clocked in at almost 300...Read More
Chadwick Boseman was a star beloved by many, and his tragic death at the age of 43 has been mourned around the world. Sadly, he battled colon cancer for nearly four years before eventually succumbing to it. During this time, Boseman performed in the role that would catapult his celebrity status to ultra famous –...Read More
-by Mark Miyasaki, Esq. In civil litigation, it should come as no surprise that the most common types of cases involve personal injury matters. Car accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, defamation, a wrongful death. The list goes on. What happens less often but may nevertheless find its way into a personal injury matter...Read More
Allegations of “gross mismanagement” by Ms. Franklin’s niece and her attorney were heard in the Michigan Courts this week. Allegations include excessive legal and Administrator fees, improper management of high value assets, failure to properly account for estate funds, and lack of communication with the heirs and beneficiaries. Because this is Aretha Franklin’s estate, “excessive...Read More
Recently, sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead, allegedly by suicide. A number of people have raised questions what this means for his estate and the victims. At this time, there are more questions than answers. This is due to the extreme complexity of Epstein’s estate. It would be spread out over at least three...Read More
Aretha Franklin was no doubt one of the greatest singers of our time. With her vast estate back in probate court last week, I wanted to take the chance to talk about some of the issues that have arisen thus far. I’ll address each in turn in terms of how they work in California probate...Read More
When Green Book was released and subsequently won the Oscar for Best Picture, Don Shirley’s story finally became widely known to the public. But who really knew Don Shirley? Was it his family, who claimed the movie was a “symphony of lies”, or was it the sole heir and executor of his estate, a Dutch...Read More
David Cassidy, known as Keith Partridge in the popular show The Partridge Family and a teen heartthrob in the 1970s, died of organ failure in Fort Lauderdale on November 21, 2017 at the age of 67. He had been hospitalized with liver and kidney failure the week prior to his death and passed away surrounded...Read More
Famed Playboy (Owner) and Celebrity Hugh Hefner passed away on September 27th at the age of 91. With an estimated net worth of $50 million at the time of his death, a young wife, multiple ex-wives and ex-girlfriends, and four children to boot, who will end up with Hugh Hefner’s fortune? His last will and testament,...Read More
Chapter Two continues the unhappy saga of the troubles of Tom Clancy’s estate. The main players in this drama are the two wives of Tom Clancy; his first wife, Wanda King, who was married to him for 30 years, and his second wife and widow, Alexandra Clancy, married to him for 14 years. The drama...Read More
When Prince died without leaving a will his estate became subject to the requirements of the probate court. One of the first things the probate court asks for is an inventory of one’s assets. The value of an estate has to be established, and this is done by having a professional appraiser (called a probate referee)...Read More
Image by Peacock TV Jay Pritchett’s family on ABC’s popular sitcom “Modern Family” is a reflection of many families in the U.S. today. Jay (Ed O’Neill) and Gloria (Sophia Vergara) are parents of a blended family – in other words, they are in a second (or third) marriage and have children from multiple marriages. How...Read More
WHITNEY HOUSTON, FLORENCE GRIFFITH JOYNER, HEATH LEDGER Earlier this year I wrote about the Celebrity Estate Planning Tragedies of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marlon Brando, Howard Hughes, James Brown, and James Gandolfini. Recent events and a few discoveries on my part have compelled me to add to that list of Celebrity Estate Planning Tragedies – and...Read More
Obergefell v. Hodges was no doubt one of the U.S.’s most important pieces of legislation if we truly are to be a country where all are created equal. As an attorney who is frequently sifting through the complexities of trusts, wills, and California intestacy laws, I wanted to know how Obergefell v. Hodges would change...Read More
Mental Competence and Money are at the heart of countless lawsuits in the US today. While Sumner Redstone’s case involves considerably more money and media exposure than most, it bears strong resemblance to many of my past and present cases in the SF East Bay. In many instances, legal action can help to protect elderly...Read More
According to documents filed with the Minnesota Probate court this morning, it appears highly likely that music legend Prince died intestate. In other words, Prince had no will and no trust. This morning his sister Tyka filed a Petition for Formal Appointment of Special Administrator, requesting that Bremer Bank be appointed to administer the celebrity’s...Read More
Over the next 30-40 years, it is estimated that baby boomers will transfer an unprecedented 30 trillion dollars to the next generation, resulting in the greatest wealth transfer of our time. In contrast, studies estimate the previous inter generational wealth transfer (still in process) at just $11 trillion. Due to the proliferation of second and third marriages, the...Read More
The state of Illinois recently resolved the estate of Mary Petroff, a nonagenarian (new word! – “90’s”) who died in 2011. It took nearly 4 years for the state to find and confirm the 48 relatives who laid claim to her and her late sister Anne’s $1.36 million estate. The story of Mary and Anne’s...Read More
