Please, not another blog about Michael Jackson

There are 2 kinds of people in the world. Some can't get enough of the Michael Jackson saga. Others are complaining about how all the real news in the world is being drowned out by old Michael videos and talking heads analyzing his dysfunctional family. If you're in the 2nd group, my apologies. But below is more about Michael and his estate planning.

Also, if you want another interesting take on Michael's estate plan, check out the blog post of my colleague Victor Medina - "Michael Jackson's Estate Plan - What He Did Right!"

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MICHAEL JACKSON: Part Two

1. Don't you want to avoid confusion? With Michael, there was a time period where it wasn't clear whether he had a Will or not. In fact, his mom went to court and told the judge there was not a Will and asked that she be given power as the administrator. Now things change once the Will is presented to the court. Good planning will avoid this limbo period where people are wondering if there is a Will and where it is. Good planning will make sure that the right people know how to quickly get their hands on legal documents that you have prepared.

2. Who is a good choice as guardian of your kids? Michael's mom is 79 years old. His youngest child is 7. If I have my math right, she will be 90 years old when he gets out of high school. Is she the best option as guardian? Under Illinois law, do you know who is qualified to raise your kids? Anyone over 18 who is not a felon but is U.S. citizen. So from that pool or people, the judge has to pick someone who is in the best interest of the child. In Illinois, the court will lean strongly toward following the parent's wishes in naming a guardian, but is not absolutely required to name the guardian you list in your Will. If you properly name a guardian in writing, then your choice has "prima facie" validity. This means that the court presumes that your guardian choice is best, but the court may approve someone else if evidence shows that is better.

3. What about the other parent? The mother of 2 of Michael's kids, Debbie Rowe, is to have nothing to do with them, according to his family at a press conference. She was not named as a guardian. I am assuming that she gave up all her parental rights because (in Illinois) the other surviving parent will continue to be the child's guardian, regardless of what the Will said, unless their parental rights had already been terminated.

4. No planning = 18 year old with money. I assume that Michael's trust provides for his children and gives instructions about how their money will be managed and when and how they can spend it or take control over it. But, if he had no plan or they couldn't find the documents, then the law (at least in Illinois), is that kids get their money at age 18. Would your 18 year old high school senior be ready to receive your wealth (home, retirement plan, life insurance, etc.)?

5. Don't be distracted by the big numbers. Don't get caught in the trap that only rich people like Michael need to do estate planning. We should just call it "planning" and get rid of the term estate. Every person, regardless of their wealth or family situation, should do some kind of planning for when they are disabled or pass away. Good planning to make things easier, better, cheaper, smoother, quicker - for you now and your family later. Even doing nothing is a plan in itself.

6. End up like Elvis? Part 1. Michael was afraid he would end up dying young like Elvis. Hopefully Michael's estate won't end up like Elvis. When Elvis died, his estate was worth about $10 million, but by the time expenses, taxes, lawyers, and probate fees were all paid, there was less than $3 million left.

7. End up like Elvis? Part 2. Despite Elvis' lack of planning for his death, his family has done very well with the family business. A few years ago, the family sold most of their Elvis rights for $100 million. From being worth $3 million to over $100 million in 30 years. Not bad. I say do both - set up good planning that handles your estate properly now, but also sets up your family for greater success later. Elvis's family overcame bad initial planning to successfully grow the family wealth. Don't make your family have to overcome that obstacle.

Michael Jackson: King of Pop (and Estate Planning?)

Are you tired yet of hearing about the Michael Jackson saga? One thing for sure, the gossip media should have plenty to talk about for quite a while. It turns out Michael did have a Last Will & Testament after all. (Thanks to those who sent me links to good articles on his estate issues.) Despite the circus atmosphere, Michael's estate situation gives us some reminders about important planning issues:

1. Wills are public. Usually, there are many issues that are much more important to your family than keeping your estate matters secret. But at the same time, do you really want people to see your private info? And with increasing online access to court records, it will be easier and easier for your neighbor or nosy relative to look at your Will in court records without leaving home.

2. Living Trusts are private. A living trust is a good way to keep your info private at your death. And that's exactly what Michael did. Look at his Will. It is what we call a "pour over will", meaning his will doesn't have much in it except instructions to dump assets at his death into what they are calling his "Family Trust" (which is private and will stay private). So all the gory details about who gets what and when they get it are only in that private document, incorporated by reference into his Will. And it seems to me that Michael's Will actually included more info than necessary. For instance, I usually would not put something in the Will about disinheriting anyone (as he did with is ex-wife). That kind of info can go in your trust to keep it all private.

3. Asset titling is key. We haven't seen how this part plays out yet. Even though Michael had a living trust, if he didn't properly title his assets in that trust before his death, then the probate court will have to do it using his will. Without assets organized properly, he will lose part of the benefits of the living trust.

4. Feeding frenzy? Michael's death is a media frenzy, but also a money frenzy too. Friends, relatives, business associates, will all be scrambling to take financial advantage. Those who are controlling his assets will be approached by all kinds of people with all kinds of ideas and schemes, all designed to get some money from the estate. Marlon Brando's estate attorney said people came "out of the woodwork making all sorts of claims" after Brando died. At your death, who will be in charge of your estate and who will be at risk for being taken advantage of?

5. Personal items are important. There is a court dispute over 2,000 personal items. Michael's mom has control of them, but the real executors want them back. The judge told them to try to work it out. I have seen a lot of hurt feelings and disputes over personal items, sometimes of small dollar value. But sometimes the items of small dollar value have huge sentimental and emotional value. What have you done to make sure your personal items don't cause a dispute later? What have you done to preserve the stories behind items of emotional value?

6. We never know when. We look at Michael and figure he was living a life on the edge that could lead to an early death. But the fact is that none of us know when our time is up. One thing about estate planning - you need to do it when you don't need it, because when you need it, it's too late to do it.

I have more comments to make about MJ's estate, but I will wait until next time. And I would love to hear your comments on my comments or on Michael's situation.

David Otis Edwards, Springfield, Illinois

Wealth Transfer or Wealth Reception - Part #1

Successful Planning, Successful Living

I help clients carry out the goals they have for themselves and their families. However, I always want to make sure clients have developed goals with a full understanding of what all can be accomplished with good planning. Sometimes they limit themselves and don't explore some of the most important planning issues, until I prompt them to think a little broader.

You might ask yourself:

How do you define a successful estate plan?

How do you define a successful life?

Traditionally, many planning issues have focused only on the transfer of wealth. But most of us would probably agree that just avoiding probate or saving some tax money is not all that is required to have lived a succesful life. Isn't there more to life than that? And there's more to estate planning too.

There are so many more issues that clients want to address, once they hear about the possibilities. I think a good plan will carry out the goals you would have completed during your life, with enough time and resources. But since our time on earth is limited, we plan so our influence can continue.


1. If you could plan in a way that would protect your loved ones from risk or harm, would you be interested in hearing more about it?

2. If you could plan in a way that would set up your loved ones for greater success in the future, would you be interested in hearing more about it?

3. Is the focus of a plan simply to transfer the wealth, or to help that wealth accomplish the greatest good in our families and in the community?

4. What is money worth, except for what it can accomplish?

5. What could your money accomplish in those who survive you? Those you care the most about?

6. If you could communicate your wisdom, and your loved ones would apply it, what frustrations could you spare them?

7. What if you were able to transfer both your wisdom and your wealth, in what ways could that benefit those who survive you? How would it be better than just transferring one or the other?

9 ways to cause a dispute after you die - probate and trust administration nightmares

Well I got another one of those phone calls last week. An attorney from out of town called looking for someone in Springfield who was familiar with the Sangamon County courts. He had a client whose mother had died and now there was a dispute with the trustee. Another one of those messes.

So, my advice is this: If you want to create a mess for your family, don't leave it to chance. Do it right and plan the mess yourself.

Here are 9 ways you can create a mess after you die.

1. Don't organize your assets. Assume that what you own will fit in with your legal documents. Somehow by accident it will work out.


2. Don't talk about what you are planning to do. So your wife and your kids (some maybe from a previous marriage) can both assume they knew what you wanted. Leave it vague enough so no one really knows, and there certainly is no legal guidance. And be sure to keep your financial situation secret, from your kids and even your wife. They don't need to know yet.


3. Name an executor or trustee without much thought. Just name the obvious choice, regardless of their track record for honesty or handling money. Even though trustees sometimes run off with the money or mishandle investments, that probably won't happen to you. Even though the person you chose has never shown themselves to be up to such a task, they will step up and do fine. Right? And certainly don't ask yourself one of the best questions - "would I trust this person with my checkbook today, while I'm still alive?"


4. Don't pay for professional legal advice. Just do it yourself. Type up (or hand write) your own trust or will. Fill out those IRA beneficiary forms, even customize them yourself without knowing the law. I'm sure it will work out somehow.


5. Make promises to family members. You know, about what you plan to leave them. Then don't do it that way. They will understand. I'm sure they won't want to fight in court about whether your wishes were written down wrong or whether you were in your right mind. They will understand that you didn't keep your promise.


6. Talk about your estate in vague terms. Say things to your wife like, "you will be taken care of" and "you won't want for anything." Say things to your kids like, "you will be treated fairly." Don't talk specifics, but just talk about generalities, so the people listening to you can
assume what they want to about what you plan to leave to them.

7. Don't use a professional trustee. Such as a bank. You don't want to spend money on something like that, where a professional will know how to get the job done and make sure that your wishes are carried out in a way that's legal and proper. Much better to leave it to friends or family members who may not exactly know what they're doing, incurring extra taxes or making messes that need to be cleaned up later.

8. Use your plan to give the family chances to learn to get along better. Create your plan in a way that creates conflict among your loved ones. For instance, name your spouse and a kid from a prior marriage as co-trustees. I'm sure they'll get along well enough to be able to sort out your estate.

9. Name a family member as a trustee of the funds you leave behind for someone else. Put your trustee in a difficult situation after your death where they have to refuse to give some of your money to another family member, particularly when it's someone from the other side of the family. And be sure not to give clear guidance about when and how that person should be able to access funds. This will put the maximum pressure on the trustee and increase the hard feelings of the person asking for the money. No matter how the trustee decides, someone will feel either mistreated or pressured.

-David Otis Edwards, Edwards Group LLC, Springfield, Illinois