• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veterans Benefits
  • Seminars
  • Areas We Serve
    • Ballwin
    • Chesterfield
    • Clayton
    • Creve Couer
    • Des Peres
    • Edwardsville
    • Fenton
    • Glen Carbon
    • Glendale
    • Kirkwood
    • Maryland Heights
    • Oakland
    • Sappington
    • St. Louis
    • Sunset Hills
    • Valley Park
    • Webster Groves
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Chesterfield Elder Law
      • Fenton Elder Law
      • Kirkwood Elder Law
      • Sunset Hills Elder Law
      • St. Louis Elder Law
      • St. Peters Elder Law
      • Webster Groves Elder Law
    • FREE Estate Planning Seminars
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Checklist
    • Probate Resources
    • Retirement Planning Checklist
    • Special Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning For Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.

St. Louis Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys

Logo
CONNECT WITH US TODAY (314) 966-8077
ATTEND A FREE WEBINAR
Home / Estate Planning / Why Reviewing Your Estate Plan Is So Important – The James Brown Estate Battle

Why Reviewing Your Estate Plan Is So Important – The James Brown Estate Battle

April 15, 2013

Estate Planning Tagged With: Estate Planning, james brown estate, will contest

When the Godfather of Soul died in 2006, he left behind a considerable estate as well as a fairly well written estate plan. Despite that, his estate was tied up in a nasty estate battle for the past six years until the South Carolina Supreme Court finally settled all the issues recently. His estate battle is an excellent example of why it is so important to review and revise an estate plan when important life events dictate those revisions.

Much of the problem with Brown’s estate stemmed from the fact that he re-married and allegedly fathered a child after his 2000 estate plan was created. Although he was clear in his estate plan that no one other than those mentioned in the plan were to inherit anything, it is far from uncommon for a subsequent spouse or child to challenge an estate plan. Brown’s six grown children also challenged the Will which called for them to only split his personal and household property. Even the South Carolina Attorney General was involved in the lawsuit because the AG administers a charitable trust. Brown’s original plan called for the majority of his assets to be used to fund a charitable trust to assist poor students with educational expenses.

Just recently, the South Carolina Supreme Court reviewed the case and struck down a deal that was brokered by the AG, essentially claiming that the AG took control over Brown’s estate without just cause. Although all may have ended well, it cost Brown’s estate millions in legal fees – fees that could have been avoided has Brown simply reviewed his estate plan after his re-marriage and the birth of another potential heir.

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Paul Gantner
Latest posts by Paul Gantner (see all)
  • Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic - November 17, 2020
  • Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic - October 1, 2020
  • How Will You Age in Place and Be Able to Die at Home? - August 16, 2020

Filed Under: Estate Planning Tagged With: Estate Planning, james brown estate, will contest

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Updating Your Plan: Powers of Attorney
Updating Your Plan: Your Trust or Will
Tax Planning for 2021
Updating Your Plan: Beneficiary Designations
What the 2020 Election Could Mean for Your Estate Plan
Preparing for the Unexpected…and the Eventual

Primary Sidebar

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Where We Are

Amen, Gantner & Capriano
10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 425
St. Louis, MO 63127

See Larger MapGet directions

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Map

map for Amen, Gantner & Capriano Your Estate Matters office
  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Footer

Connect to us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
footer-logo

© 2021 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

Amen, Gantner & Capriano,
Your Estate Matters, LLC

Attorney Advertisement