Tag: wills and estates

Prince’s Estate Was $300 Million … What Could Go Wrong?

Nydia Menendez

by Estate Planning Attorney Nydia Menendez. When rock and roll legend Prince Rogers Nelson, known simply as Prince, died suddenly in April of 2016, his fans were filled with questions. Today, years later, all his heirs are asking questions. But it’s no longer, “What happened?” It’s “What WILL happen” … to the estimated one to three hundred-million-dollar value of Prince’s Estate? Prince died without an Estate Plan of any kind. Not even a Will. And Prince’s assets are confusing: cash, investments, royalties from music and merchandise, a Caribbean villa, and…

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Tiger King, Estate Poor

Nydia Menendez
Carole Baskin

by Estate Planning Attorney Nydia Menendez Have you seen the Netflix “Tiger King” series? During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with people stuck at home in quarantine, this series went viral, being watched by over 64 million households. The show focuses on infamous zookeeper, “Joe Exotic.” But the third episode, titled “The Secret” really got me interested because it was about Carole Baskin, the founder of “Big Cat Rescue,” which is Joe Exotic’s chief rival. Carole Baskin married millionaire Don Lewis in 1991. Together the couple co-founded “Wildlife on…

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The Queen of Salsa’s Estate Plan … Complicated By Mr. Knight

Nydia Menendez
celia cruz

by Estate Planning Attorney Nydia Menendez Celia Cruz was a Cuban American salsa singer who became a legendary icon of the Latin Music world. She was known as The Queen of Salsa – a title well deserved, because her style and music definitely reigned supreme. She was famous for her vibrant voice, flamboyant costumes, brightly colored wigs, and her signature line, Azúcar! The Queen of Salsa was born in Santos Suárez, a working-class neighborhood in Havana, Cuba. She started her musical career at a very early age. Although her father…

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Was Aretha Franklin’s Will Found in The Sofa Cushions?

Nydia Menendez
aretha franklin

by Estate Planning Attorney Nydia Menendez Aretha Franklin was known as the Queen of Soul. Her tunes were not just harmonically excellent, but the lyrics were inspiring, uplifting and absolutely empowering. Remember, Aretha hit big in the post Civil Rights era. So, in my eyes she was iconic on so many levels. Aretha passed away in March of 2018. She was only 76 years old. When she died her family believed she had no Will or any other form of Estate Planning. Under Michigan law, that meant her Estate would…

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Do I Need a Will or a Trust?

Nydia Menendez
Do I Need a Will or a Trust

by Estate Planning Attorney Nydia Menendez If you have reached a time in life when you are planning for the future, you have most likely have come across two of the most commonly known Estate Planning tools: A Last Will And Testament and A Revocable Living Trust. Both documents provide instructions on how your assets will be distributed when you pass away. However, it is important to know the differences between these two alternatives work and what it means to have one or the other. Having a Last Will Everyone…

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