Fantasia, American Idol Season 3 winner, announced she gave birth to her second child on December 27, 2011, in North Carolina. The singer welcomed baby boy Dallas Xavier, who weighed in at 7 lbs., 9 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Baby Dallas joins big sister Zion, 10, who Fantasia has from a previous relationship. Fantasia has not revealed the identity of the father of baby Dallas, although she has been romantically linked to Antwaun Cook since summer 2010. Full article.

It is vital for single parents to have their affairs in order. They must plan for their children. It is advisable for single parents to have a Last Will and Testament, with provisions of who will care for their children should they pass. A Last Will and Testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death. Included in the Will is provision of Guardianship. A parent may nominate who will look after their child should they pass without another parent alive. Also, a single parent can arrange to provide for their children’s health, education, maintenance, and support in a trust. The trust will hold the money for the child until he/she turns a certain age. Distributions may be staggered, so that the child receives 1/3 of the estate at age 25, 1/3 at age 30, and 1/3 at age 35. It is important to consult with an attorney about your affairs. No estate is too small to be excluded from estate planning.

For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

Harry Morgan, the star actor from the hit show MASH, has died at 96 years old.  The actor was made famous for his role as Col. Sherman T. Potter on MASH and his role as Officer Bill Gannon on the revived version of Dragnet.  Notably, Morgan has also acted in over 100 films, such as The Ox-Bow Incident, High Noon, and Inherit the Wind.  Morgan was also married for 45 years to Eileen Detchon until she passed away in 1985.  He had three sons from his first marriage, named Christopher, Charles and Paul, as well as eight grandchildren.

According to New York Surrogate’s Courts, a valid will can transfer an interest in both personal property (e.g. bank accounts, furniture, stocks, clothing) and real property (such as real estate).  A will also allows a person to name an individual to serve as an executor of the estate and guardian over the children.  Moreover, a will can provide protection for family members (for example, trusts for adult incompetent children).  Read More

At Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, our lawyers have experience handling all forms of probate and estate matters.  Our guardianship, surrogate, testate and intestate representations extends to clients throughout Long Island, the New York Metropolitan area, and even across the country. For more information or a free consultation, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times declares that the Baby Boomer generation will be remembered as the generation who left their children nothing. Many Baby Boomers plan to spend, spend, spend, so that their bank account is zero on the day of their death. The idea behind this is that they believe they have provided their children with the foundation to make their own money, and there is no reason to leave them an inheritance. The Boomers plan to vacation and spoil themselves during their lifetime. Full article.

Proper estate planning includes having a valid will, health care proxy, living will, and power of attorney. A Last Will and Testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death. A Health Care Proxy is a document which allows you to designate a person to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself. These decisions can involve the management of your health care in order to keep you healthy. These decisions can also involve the termination of life support. A Living Will is a written statement that expresses your desires with regard to health care treatment if you become mentally incapable and/or physically incapable of expressing those desires. It may include instructions concerning the termination of life support. It is important to consider these documents when planning your estate. No estate is too small to be excluded from estate planning.

For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

An 85 year old man, Robert Porter, was stuck in his car -in a ravine- on a road in Texas for two days. As he was afraid of dying in his car, he wrote what believed to be his final message on the car’s armrest. In the message he stated that he was in an accident and that he wasn’t trying to kill himself. He also directed his family to give him a closed casket at his funeral. To call for help, he used his car horn until the battery died and he was rescued about 40 hours later. See: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/13/trapped-man-85-wrote-goodbye-note-before-rescue/?hpt=hp_bn1

According to New York Surrogate’s Courts, a valid will can transfer an interest in both personal property (e.g. bank accounts, furniture, stocks, and clothing) and real property (such as real estate). A will also allows a person to name an individual to serve as an executor of the estate and guardian over the children. Moreover, a will can provide protection for family members (for example, trusts for adult incompetent children). See: http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/surrogates/faqs.shtml#q3

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. handle all forms of estate planning matters and the probate of wills. The law firm has worked with families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.     

Nick Ashford, a Motown songwriter and part of the duo Ashford & Simpson, has died at age 70. The deceased singer suffered from throat cancer and underwent radiation treatment. Some famous songs credited to the songwriter include but re not limited to, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand”, and “You’re All I Need To Get By”. The singer is survived by his wife and two daughters. See: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/entertainment&id=8321034

It is imperative to recognize the importance of estate planning in the event of a tragic death that is unexpected. If a decedent dies without a last will and testament, the estate is subject to intestacy by the New York Surrogate Court. Under the Estate Planning and Trusts Law (EPTL) 4.1-1, when a person dies without a last will and testament, all distribution, debts, administration expenses and reasonable funeral expenses will be deducted but all estate taxes shall be disregarded. Distribution of the estate shall then be as follows. If a decedent is survived by a spouse and issue, then fifty thousand dollars and one-half of the residue estate will go to the spouse, and the balance remaining will pass to the children. If a spouse dies without children, then the whole estate passes to the spouse. If there is no spouse and no children, then the whole estate will pass to one or both surviving parents. See: http://www.jdbar.com/Statutes/eptl-4-1_1.html

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. recognize the importance of proper estate planning, helping families properly plan estates in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com

On August 23, 2011, an earthquake of 5.9 magnitude strikes Virginia. Shaking was felt up and down the east coast, from Rhode Island to South Carolina. The earthquake sent thousands of people running out of office buildings across New York City and briefly grounded flights. This is the first major quake to hit New York in decades. New York’s City Hall and police headquarters were evacuated, along with many office buildings. No major harm was done, however, many were shaken after the quake. More than 12 million people may have felt the quake’s sickening sway. Full article.

In the aftermath of a scary event such as this, it is natural to experience a period of reflection on one’s own life. While many people are uncomfortable with the thought of planning their estate, it is important to be ready in case tragedy strikes. There are steps that responsible people can take to ensure that their loved ones are properly taken care of after they are gone. Proper estate planning includes having a valid will, health care proxy, living will, and power of attorney.

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. has helped families properly plan estates in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

Former New York Gov. Hugh Carey has died at the age of 92 on August 7, 2011. Carey served as New York’s 51st governor from 1975 through 1982. Perhaps Carey is most remembered for leading the rescue effort that brought New York City back from the brink of bankruptcy during its 1975 fiscal crisis. Hugh Leo Carey married the late Helen Owen Carey on Feb. 27, 1947, in The Lady Chapel of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the two raised 14 children together. Carey is survived by 11 children, 25 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.  Full article.

The new 2011 estate tax laws took effect January 1, 2011.  Estates with a taxable estate over $5 million will have to pay taxes. All estates under $5 million will be exempt. There is also an advantageous “stepped - up basis” in all inherited property. Stepped - up tax basis means that if you inherit property, the new tax basis of the property is its value on the date of death. As a result, if you inherit property and later sell it, you will pay capital gains tax based only on the value of the property as of the date of death.   

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. have worked with a variety of families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island.  For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.             

The estate of late actress Anna Nicole Smith has lost a Supreme Court battle over her deceased husband’s fortune. The issue to decide at court was whether Smith’s estate received a proper hearing in federal courts, and whether state probate courts should be the proper venue for hearing such cases. J. Howard Marshall was married to Smith for 14 months before he died in 1995. His will left nearly all assets and trust to his son from a previous marriage, E. Pierce Marshall. He left Smith almost nothing. She later sued and claimed her deceased husband had promised to give her more than $300 million. Read: http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/06/23/scotus.anna.nicole.smith/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Len Leeds is a senior partner at Leeds Morelli and Brown, PC who represented Smith in life and during the battle over her deceased husband’s estate.  If a decedent dies without a last will and testament, the estate is subject to intestacy by the New York Surrogate Court. Under the Estate Planning and Trusts Law (EPTL) 4.1-1, when a person dies without a last will and testament, all distribution, debts, administration expenses and reasonable funeral expenses will be deducted but all estate taxes shall be disregarded. Distribution of the estate shall then be as follows. If a decedent is survived by a spouse and issue, then fifty thousand dollars and one-half of the residue estate will go to the spouse, and the balance remaining will pass to the children. If a spouse dies without children, then the whole estate passes to the spouse. If there is no spouse and no children, then the whole estate will pass to one or both surviving parents. See: http://www.jdbar.com/Statutes/eptl-4-1_1.html

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. have extensive experience with respect to all areas of estate planning and protective estate measures in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island, as well as nationally. For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

Ryan Dunn, star of MTV’s “Jackass,” has died in a car crash. Dunn was 34 years old. A police report indicated that Dunn was most likely speeding in his 2007 Porsche 911 GT3, which was destroyed in the wreck. “Upon arrival, police located one vehicle in the road and in the woods that was fully engulfed in flames.” There was no indication at the time that a “DUI” was to blame. Full article.

After an accident takes a young person’s life, one is reminded that life is precious. It is important to consider proper estate planning so that affairs are in order. Proper estate planning includes having a valid will, health care proxy, living will, and power of attorney. A Last Will and Testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death.  A Health Care Proxy is a document which allows you to designate a person to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself. These decisions can involve the management of your health care in order to keep you healthy. These decisions can also involve the termination of life support. A Living Will is a written statement that expresses your desires with regard to health care treatment if you become mentally incapable and/or physically incapable of expressing those desires. It may include instructions concerning the termination of life support. It is important to consider these documents when planning your estate. No estate is so small as to be excluded from estate planning.

For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

Wellington R. Burt was a rich timber baron from Saginaw, Michigan. Burt died in 1919 with a multi-million-dollar fortune, which was one of America’s largest at the time.  Instead of leaving his fortune to his children, Burt planned for his fortune to be distributed 21 years after his grand-children’s death.  Now that it’s 21 years since the death of the last grandchild, the fortune is finally being turned over to 12 of Burt’s heirs, including three great-grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren and another great-great-great grandchild.  The fortune is valued at more than $100 million. Full article.

The Government’s estate tax is designed to tax assets when they are passed from one generation to another, such as a parent to a child.  For individuals that have a large estate, paying taxes at each generation can be extremely costly and often times can deplete an estate.  A solution is to establish a Generation Skipping Trust.  This type of trust effectively transfers assets from the grantor’s estate to his or her grandchildren, the children of the grantor never take title to the assets. This allows the grantor to avoid the estate taxes that would apply if the assets were transferred to his or her children first. Generation skipping trusts can still be used to provide some financial benefits to a grantor’s children, however, because any income generated by the trust’s assets can be made accessible to the grantor’s children while still leaving the assets in trust for his or her grandchildren.

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. have worked with a variety of families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island.  For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.