The saga of the storied Kennedy family continues in New York.  The body of Mary Kennedy was found back in May at her residence where she had apparently committed suicide by hanging.  This allegedly due to Mary’s struggles with mental illness and substance abuse through a difficult divorce. The 18 year old son of Mary and Robert Kennedy, Jr., Conor, applied to be the personal representative of his mother’s estate.  Conor Kennedy’s lawyer made application to the court for the appointment after Conor became qualified to serve as personal representative on his 18^th birthday.  Neither Robert Kennedy, Jr. nor the lawyer to the family of Mary Kennedy objected to the appointment, which will likely be made in process of time.

This tragedy, and subsequent legal action, brings into focus some important estate planning issues.  Part of planning your estate involves determining who will represent your estate after your death.  Choosing a personal representative, while not a guarantee that they will serve, at least records your desire for the court to consider.   In addition, it is very important that you have your estate plan reviewed at the time a divorce proceeding is contemplated to ensure that it will still do what you want should you die.  Finally, the use of a revocable living trust can help you avoid the necessity of putting your estate through probate at the time of your death.

Morris Hall Can Protect You in Today’s Litigious Society:
We live in a litigious society, where over 1 million lawsuits are filed every year in America alone.  Financial predators are looking for ways to take funds from others and often use litigation as their means to do so.  At Morris Hall we provide your assets and your loved ones with important protections that can prevent financial predators from taking advantage of you.  We do this through proper and current estate planning techniques.  With an MH living trust, we can also protect your property, assets and loved ones from probate, estate taxes, gift taxes, creditors, Medicaid spend-down, conservatorship or guardianship proceedings, ex-spouses and more.  A living trust also keeps your asset and beneficiary information private and secure to avoid giving financial predators information to use against you and your family.  Without a living trust, this information will be made public.  For those living in Arizona, we serve the areas of Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona, Tucson, Sonoita, Arrowhead, Avondale, Goodyear and Tempe.  In New Mexico we serve the areas of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, White Rock, Alamogordo, Truth or Consequences and more.  Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment with an attorney in your area!

This blog should be used for informational purposes only.  It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice.  If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.