Downs Law Firm, P.C.

Trust

Annuity beneficiary

Battle Over Lisa Marie Presley Estate

A badly in debt woman dies leaving the proceeds of substantial insurance policies to her children only to have her trust contested by relatives who claim an amendment naming the children as beneficiaries is invalid with no witnesses, misspelled names, suspicious signatures and was never given to previous trustees for review as required by agreement. A long, expensive, and protracted legal battle likely is brewing.

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myths to debunk

Four Estate Planning Myths To Debunk

While thinking about legacy planning can be unpleasant because it involves discussions about incapacity or mortality, it’s an important aspect of good financial planning that shouldn’t be ignored.

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Will contest

Can You Prevent a Will Contest?

From contentious relatives to scam artists, wills are not immune to the threat of a contest. If you have an inkling such a fight could be in your estate’s future, here are some ways to limit the risk.

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name a guardian

Why Your Beneficiary Designation Matters?

When you set up your estate plan it is important to coordinate the legal planning documents that you or you and your attorney create with the document provided by your retirement account custodian and/or your life insurance carrier called a ‘Designation of Beneficiary.’

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ruling from the grave

Should You Rule From the Grave?

There are many stories of strange conditions in wills and trusts over time. For example, the German poet Heinrich ‘Henry’ Heine died in 1856 and left his estate to his wife, Matilda, on the condition that she remarry, so that ‘there will be at least one man to regret my death’.

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