Topics: Wills and Probate - 27 results

Despite challenges by the children and wife he left behind, as well as by the state of South Carolina, James Brown’s plans for the inheritance of his money will stay in place. In February the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that an irrevocable trust set up by the Godfather of Soul – which cut out any wives and left most of his estate to an educational trust fund – could not be set aside.   It’s This Man’s World Brown …

If Valentine’s Day results in the announcement of an engagement for one of your children, lawyers say it’s time to start thinking about how your own legal affairs are structured. And while you’re at it, you may need to offer a little good old-fashioned parental advice for your googly-eyed child.   Think Ahead Once an engagement happens, the wheels start turning for the parents. “I typically see parents getting their wills drafted for the first time when their kids get …

Historically, a “will” was used to distribute of real estate after one’s death and a “testament” was used to dispose of personal property. Today those instructions are combined into a single document, called a “last will and testament.” British Scientist James Smithson make a bequest in 1829 in his last will and testament, instructing: “I then bequeath the whole of my property… to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an …