Trusts & Estates
The Most Important Parts of Estate Planning Can't Get Legislated Away
By: Matthew T. McClintock, JD
Most often, articles about the estate plans of dead celebrities focus on the legal challenges they raise or the amount of estate tax that could have otherwise been avoided. Many of the articles about Hoffman’s death — and Sopranos star James Gandolfini before him — bear this out. But recently an article surfaced about Philip Seymour Hoffman’s estate plan that caught my eye. Published in JD Supra’s Business Advisor, author Anne Bjerken noted that Hoffman’s estate plan specifically included instructions for the guardian of his minor son. The instructions serve as a reminder that some of the most important things to clients have NOTHING to do with financial or tax-related matters. For many sophisticated planners, this borders on heresy!
“It is my strong desire…that my son, COOPER HOFFMAN, be raised and reside in or near the borough of Manhattan in the State of New York, or Chicago, Illinois, or San Francisco, California, and if my guardian cannot reside in those cities, then it is my strong desire, and not direction, that my son, COOPER HOFFMAN, visit these cities at least twice per year throughout such guardianship. The purpose of this request is so that my son will be exposed to the culture, arts, and architecture that such cities offer.”
This is a reminder to us all that many clients — and probably the ones we enjoy the most — care about their personal “values” legacy. What do I want my kids/grandkids to know was important to me? What kind of humans should they become? How can my estate plan help to influence that? Hoffman felt strongly enough about providing cultural exposure for his kids that he had it written into his will.
To learn more about non-financial Estate Planning, please fill out the form below.
Topics
Complete the form to get your free guide
Related Resources
2024 Estate Planning Awareness Week - Free Marketing Package
Get free access to the 2024 Estate Planning Awareness Week marketing package with customizable blog content and letters so you can reach out to current and prospective clients, as well as referral sources, without having to spend hours creating original content from scratch.
Learn More2024 Estate Planning Industry Trends Report
Don't miss your chance to stay at the forefront of the estate planning industry. Download the full report for free by submitting the form on this page, and be well-prepared for current opportunities and challenges.
Learn MoreWealthCounsel Quarterly, Volume 18, No. 3—Client-Focused Planning Considerations
This issue of the WealthCounsel Quarterly highlights some essential but often overlooked estate planning documents that young adults should have in place as they venture outside their parents' homes to establish independent lives, whether starting their first year of college or beginning careers.
Learn More