The best-drafted estate plan in the world can still end up in a legal cage match if you invite the wrong people to the party.Pop culture icon Shannen Doherty learned this the hard way. Known for playing fierce, unapologetic characters on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, Shannen passed away from breast cancer on July 13, 2024, at age 53. While she was an absolute powerhouse who took vital legal steps to protect her legacy, the messy aftermath of her death serves as a masterclass in why your … [Read more...] about Still Fighting: The Estate Planning Legacy of Shannen Doherty
legal education
Declare Your Independence From Intestacy
Every Fourth of July, we celebrate a simple but powerful idea: that people have the right to determine their own destiny. We celebrate the courage of individuals who rejected someone else’s rules and insisted on making their own. And then, statistically speaking, most of us go home and allow our state legislature to make some of the most important decisions of our lives.I have written before about the horrors of intestacy and what happens when someone dies without a Will or Trust in place … [Read more...] about Declare Your Independence From Intestacy
When Estate Planning Documents Say One Thing—and Mean Another
"Equal" sounds fair. It sounds right. In a blended family, it often feels like the only way to avoid World War III at Thanksgiving. But in the real world, "equal" can hide outcomes that nobody would call fair after the fact.Here is what Casey and I see happen all the time. After the first spouse passes away, everything stays in one big pot. The surviving spouse goes on living life. They might remarry—hey, love is beautiful the second time around—or step-relationships might get a little … [Read more...] about When Estate Planning Documents Say One Thing—and Mean Another
IRS Warning: The 2026 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams
Each year, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) publishes its “Dirty Dozen” list of the most notorious tax scams from the prior year. The Security Summit, a partnership among the IRS, state tax agencies, and the nation’s tax industry, has enacted a broader campaign under which the Dirty Dozen falls. For the nerds reading this blog, March 5, 2026, was “National Slam the Scam Day” and the IRS released the Dirty Dozen on that day to help raise awareness. The list alerts both taxpayers and tax … [Read more...] about IRS Warning: The 2026 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams
How Buss Family Infighting Drove the $10B Sale of the Lakers: An Estate Planning Cautionary Tale
How Buss Family Infighting Drove the $10B Sale of the Lakers: An Estate Planning Cautionary TaleWhile checking a sports app on an entirely unrelated matter, I came across an article that veered well outside traditional sports reporting and squarely into the realm of estate planning for family-owned businesses. The headline immediately caught my attention: “How Buss Family Infighting Drove the $10B Sale of the Lakers.” Naturally, I clicked.What followed was a story filled with intrigue, … [Read more...] about How Buss Family Infighting Drove the $10B Sale of the Lakers: An Estate Planning Cautionary Tale
Choosing the Right Trustee: Why Trustee Selection Can Make or Break Your Estate Plan
Why Trustee Selection Can Make—or Break—an Estate PlanEvery estate planning attorney advises clients that choosing a Trustee is one of the most consequential decisions in an estate plan. And for good reason: the right Trustee can preserve a legacy for generations, while the wrong one can unravel even the most carefully drafted documents.In law school and on the bar exam, attorneys learn the theoretical duties of Trustees—loyalty, prudence, and impartiality. Most clients grasp these concepts … [Read more...] about Choosing the Right Trustee: Why Trustee Selection Can Make or Break Your Estate Plan
Why Estate Planning Needs More Than Boilerplate Language
Since 2020, Estate Planning attorneys nationwide have seen a dramatic and lasting increase in demand. What began as a pandemic-driven surge quickly turned into a long-term trend. New clients are creating plans, long-time clients are updating old documents, and families are asking for more advanced strategies to protect their assets.To keep up, many attorneys have streamlined their workflows—using templates, automation, and faster drafting systems to manage larger caseloads. Efficiency is … [Read more...] about Why Estate Planning Needs More Than Boilerplate Language
What Football and Estate Planning Have in Common
I really wanted to watch the Sunday night football game, and I really needed to write this blog, so I thought I’d do both and write a blog about what football and Estate Planning have in common. Turns out it’s more than you think. Both Estate Planning and football focus on strategy, teamwork and preparing for the future. Both require assembling the right team, adapting to changes, and defining clear goals. To reach the desired conclusion, both Estate Planning and football require foresight, … [Read more...] about What Football and Estate Planning Have in Common
Preparing for FinCEN Real Estate Reporting
For years, the Department of the Treasury was concerned that all-cash residential real estate transactions offered an opportunity to launder illicit funds. Bank-financed purchases already fall under lender Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) obligations, but transfers that bypass institutional financing historically received far less scrutiny. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”)’s new residential real estate reporting requirement closes that gap by requiring reporting for … [Read more...] about Preparing for FinCEN Real Estate Reporting
Hulk Hogan and Disclaimers…?
What do “Hulk Hogan” (born Terry Gene Bollea) and Disclaimers have in common? Potentially, Hulk’s daughter, Brooke Hogan (“Brooke”), if sources portray the situation accurately. I recently read an article asserting that Hulk Hogan had his affairs in order and had created a Revocable Trust prior to his death. For the curious, the terms of a Revocable Trust generally do not become public, which means that Hogan’s plan may remain a mystery. That changes if someone initiates a lawsuit. In this … [Read more...] about Hulk Hogan and Disclaimers…?
