A girlfriend not a wife. A trust for one child not all three. A will that was over a decade old. For Philip Seymour Hoffman, what could go wrong?

Even though Michael Jackson's estate was saddled with over $500 million in debt when he died, due to the great work of his executors, it has earned over $2 billion since his death.

Financial advisors are in a unique position to see changing behaviors in clients that might pop up amid hardships with career, health or finances.

Thinking he was covering all his bases, Tom Carvel of Carvel Ice Cream appointed no fewer than seven executors to manage his estate upon his death. Unfortunately, having so many hands in the pot turned out to be a recipe for disaster. 

What legal remedies and protections exist for disinherited spouses like Ocasek's wife, supermodel Paulina Porizkova?

Advisors are in a unique position to spot the red flags.

Actor Chadwick Boseman, best known for portraying Black heroes, kept his cancer diagnosis a secret from many. That underlines the need for advisors to urge clients to have all their estate-planning documents in order.

Planning for one's funeral is an important, and often overlooked, aspect of an estate plan.

When a client lives beyond their means, it creates nothing but headaches for the executor of their estate.

Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' estate plan was before its time.