September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984 Truman Capote died about a month short of his 60th birthday. He was the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood. He was also close friends with Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who helped Capote research for his book In Cold Blood. In […]
May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964 Did you know that the author of the James Bond books is the same author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Ian Fleming is the creator of James Bond and wrote the books that ultimately were made into box office hits. He had worked as an assistant to the […]
Since 2009, Frank and Jamie McCourt have been embattled in one of the messiest, public divorces. The McCourts were like any other couple. They met, fell in love, got married, and had four sons. However, along the way they purchased a major league baseball team, numerous homes costing millions of dollars and led an extravagant […]
March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890 As is the case with many artists, Van Gogh was plagued with madness during his lifetime and it was not until after his death did he receive his rightful fame. He only sold one work of art during his lifetime but his paintings are now valued in the […]
Rare accidents and natural disasters can happen ending with the deaths of multiple family members. When these tragic events occur, they result in situations where it cannot be determined who died first. Such occurrences are labeled as “simultaneous deaths.” Many individuals do not take into consideration that they might die at essentially the same time […]
December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961 While his nickname was “The Georgia Peach,” Ty Cobb is not an endearing baseball legend. It is said that “[i]nstead of having friends and family at his side, a handgun and a fortune in stock certificates were on the nightstand next to his hospital bed. Only three former […]
Clients can become confused and overwhelmed by the various roles and individuals named in their estate plan. In a previous post, I outlined the traditional key players in a typical estate plan. However, guardians, conservators and custodians are three roles that can come into play when an individual has not properly planned and therefore, clients […]
February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001 It has been 10 years since Hollywood and movie fans lost Jack Lemmon. Mr. Lemmon was both a dramatic and comedic actor. He was born in an elevator [1], a graduate of Harvard and a close friend of Walter Matthau’s with whom he co-starred in eight films. It […]
Employer: Ginkel & Gallagher Position: Attorney Location: Woodbury Education: JD, Hamline University School of Law; BA, University of St. Thomas Questions How long have you been practicing? I have been practicing in the area of estate planning since 2006, and as an attorney since 2004. I previously worked at a large Minneapolis law firm focused […]
We often talk about new parents needing an estate plan to ensure they have guardians appointed for their minor children (see the recent article Appointing a Guardian for Minor Children). However, older parents with adult children should also be encouraged to have an estate plan in place. We find that most individuals truly understand the […]
June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941 It is the 70th anniversary of the death of Lou Gehrig – one of the most beloved baseball players of all time for both his athletic talent and his genuine character. Dying just short of his 38th birthday, Gehrig succumbed to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”). The disease that […]