6 Incredibly Famous People Who Died Without a Will
We all know we need to get a will, but for many of us it feels like we will have more time to get around to it. When someone in the United States dies without a will, they are considered to have died “intestate.” Rather than choose what happens to their estate, the governing law on inheritance distribution will wind up controlling who gets what and when. Here is a list of five of the most famous people in this country who never got around to getting a will. Abraham Lincoln One of the most famous men to have ever lived in America, Abraham Lincoln was the nation’s 16th president. As many know, he was assassinated on April 15, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. Lincoln was killed at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., less than a week after Robert E. Lee surrendered. Despite being a lawyer himself, Abraham Lincoln died without a will. So what happened to his estate? Records state that Lincoln’s estate was divided between his widow and surviving children. Luckily for the family, Congress donated money to Lincoln’s widow, and a justice of the Supreme Court stepped in to serve as the executor
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Top 10 Worries for Clients
Sitting on my side of the conference table (or zoom camera, as it is more often than not), I hear a lot about the innerworkings of my clients’ families, finances and personal lives. Through all the stories of family conflict and loss I’ve heard, there are a few common concerns my estate planning clients come to me with. For today’s blog post, I thought I’d share a few of the worries I hear the most often from my clients. Whether any of these topics weigh on your mind or not, my goal is to remind you that you should feel comfortable sharing the good, bad and ugly in your life with your estate planning attorney. If the attorney preparing your will or trust does not know what weighs on your mind, it is a lot harder for him or her to create a plan that fully addresses your concerns. In no particular order, the top worries my clients come to me with are as follows… Will my child’s inheritance be protected from my child’s (current or future) spouse? Whether my client has minor children or children that are adults with a family of their own, a lot of people
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