Robin Williams Estate Shows Importance of Detailed Planning

Susan Schneider, the widow of Robin Williams, is taking the children from Williams’ prior marriage to court, arguing that they have been removing property from the home she shared with him. According to Schneider, memorabilia, jewelry, and other items have been taken from the home. She wants the court to exclude these items even if Williams had wanted the three children to have them. canstockphoto14914124

Williams had put together a trust, the provisions of which outlined that the children should have the memorabilia, entertainment industry awards, and other personal items. According to Schneider, his wife of just a few years, the fact that he intended for her to stay in the family home limits what the children should have access to. She believes that the children may be entitled to personal items that were located at a separate family home. The children and Schneider also disagree about items located in storage.

Even seemingly well-organized estates can lack the proper detail to limit heirs contesting who should get what after a person passes away. One possible option to help clarify provisions of your wishes is to put together a personal property memorandum alongside the estate plan so that you can delineate exactly who receives what property. In the case of estate planning, more details are better than less. To get started on your details today, contact us at info@lawesq.net.

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