Just a few months ago, Erika Girardi (AKA the pop singer Erika Jayne of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) shocked us all by filing for divorce from her husband of 21 years, attorney Tom Girardi. Mr. Girardi is famous for his 1993 Pacific Gas and Electric Company case; yep, the same case that inspired [Read More ...]
Can you imagine a Court ruling that you’re banned from using your own name and social media accounts due to a dispute with your bosses? (The right answer is, it depends if you’ve had a lawyer review your employment agreement or not). Hayley Paige Gutman, a celebrity wedding gown designer and “Say Yes To The [Read More ...]
This hits a little too close to home. Now y’all know my (not so) secret love of reality TV and my passion for the law, but this story is a troubling mashup. A Miami Judge, the Honorable Carroll Kelly, of the 11th Judicial Circuit, is facing ethics charges for allowing the producers of a reality [Read More ...]
I binged the Crown recently (don’t be so judgy LOL. In episode 4 of Season 4, The Queen sets up meetings with each of her four children to see them, for the first time, as humans and decide who is her “favourite.” This got me thinking about our estate planning and the roles we usually [Read More ...]
Does any good deed go unpunished? That’s what Reese Witherspoon is probably thinking. I'm thinking that maybe she should have paid more attention at her Legally Blond training contracts-course. Back in April 2020, Reese Witherspoon's brand, Draper James, shared an Instagram post inviting teacher to apply for a free dress. The initiative was meant to [Read More ...]
The masterminds behind the series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Ken Spears (age 82) and Joe Ruby (age 87) died within three months of each other of natural causes earlier this year. Of course, their production company produced several other animated series including Alvin and the Chipmunks, Superman and Thundarr the Barbarian, but Scooby Doo is [Read More ...]
There’s so much going on in the world, including a new Real Housewives franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah. Missed the premier? No worries, I’ll fill you in. This story started in 1961, when Rosemary "Mama" Cosby felt a call to preach and set out with her four small children by foot from Indianapolis to [Read More ...]
Did we know Hawaii had a princess? Native Hawaiians consider the 93-year-old heiress a princess because she's a descendant of the family that ruled the islands before the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893. Side note, I wanna be a princess..... Abigail Kawananakoa's $215 million trust has been tied up in a guardianship court [Read More ...]
It may not be a bad idea given today's climate. At least one comedian, Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson, required his audience to sign a $1 million nondisclosure agreement. Whether the agreement is enforceable is a separate topic, just the merefact that it's out there is noteworthy, in my opinion. Not only are fans prohibited [Read More ...]
If you haven't wondered at least once this year, "Did Carole Baskin kill her husband?" we need to talk. In the Netflix show, "Tiger King," we were all introduced to the world of big-cat lovers featuring Joe Exotic and his arch-nemesis, Carole Baskin. (For real, if you haven't seen this show yet, do yourself a [Read More ...]
The headlines caught my eye also. As the story is told, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle filed a lawsuit against Netflix (and others involved in the Enola Holmes movie) for copyright and trademark infringement regarding the Sherlock Holmes material. Conan Doyle wrote 4 novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes and Enola, his [Read More ...]
If you haven't heard what's going on in the world of Soccer, let me tell you, it's more riveting than reality TV these days. Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players E.V.E.R., is (maybe) leaving Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I'm tellin' ya! Messi's departure is a big deal as [Read More ...]
Look what they made her do. Taylor Swift has emerged victorious in a $1 million lawsuit accusing her of screwing over a New York realtor, with a judge siding with the singer and throwing out the case. Swift, in her defense, argued that she never signed a contract. According to Swift, a Douglas Elliman broker [Read More ...]
Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, has it in his contract that his character can't a lose fight in the Fast & Furious franchise films. In fact, his contracts specify how badly he can be beaten up on screen. It's clear that these clauses are to avoid looking "wimpy" or changing the narrative without [Read More ...]
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are fighting (again, sigh). What happens when they divorce, they're Florida residents and Kanye's too busy taking over the world and forgets to remove Kim as his beneficiary on his life insurance? According to Florida law, Kim, as the former spouse is not entitled to the benefits. Section 732.703 states [Read More ...]
I'm attempting to negotiate my first family-first approach to a family feud. This is where during the family feud process, specifically the beginning, the family takes a family-first, or rather, business first, approach to their control battle. I see it quite often, and it may actually be a known thing that I'm about to describe, [Read More ...]
Former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) and his ex-brother-in-law, Constantine Scurtis, are joint owners of a Miami-area real estate venture that reportedly owns and operates 5,000 units that are worth $1 billion. Scurtis claims that A-Rod squeezed him out of his ownership percentage and profits and the two have been battling it out in the [Read More ...]
The term "super influencer" has emerged as a public figure critical to a brand's success, amassing followers and shortly after wealth. Most likely, it'll be your teenager that's the influencer in the family, but it could be you (heck-yeah, we're still cool!) The lack the proper business succession and estate planning tools to safeguard these [Read More ...]
The outbreak of Coronavirus has people all over the world thinking about their advanced directives. While this topic is generally annoying to think about (adulting is annoying) and even more annoying to discuss with your loved ones, estate planning is now more than ever a critical tool that can be used to assure that your [Read More ...]
It all started in 2008 when Madonna bought her Manhattan pad for $7.3 million sans guest restrictions. In 2014, the co-op board changed the rules and one under 16 years of age could reside in the apartment unless a resident over the age of 21 was present. Two years after the rule change, in 2016, [Read More ...]
She actually fought with two Catholic nuns, but almost the same thing, no? Katy's woes began in 2013 when she brought a convent that had been home to the Order of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a sprawling eight-acre estate located in the hills of L.A, for $14.5 million. [Read More ...]
It all started when the former Real Housewife wanted to hide her identity during the purchase of her $5 million Tribeca apartment. The genius that she is, created a trust and claims that she instructed her attorney to have only her as the beneficiary. He however, named both her and her then soon-to-be-ex-husband as the [Read More ...]
The legendary county singer, Kenny Rogers passed away on March 20 at the age of 81. The six-decade superstar sustained 5 marriages and a restaurant chain. Given his entrepreneurial ambitions, there is a chance that the Gambler's Personal Representative will need to act before the Judge makes it into his chambers to sign the probate [Read More ...]
Florida Homestead laws, actually a part of the Florida constitution, are difficult to navigate and what better guide than King Henry VIII and his former 6 wives! Lets assume that the 1509-1547 English Monarch resided in Florida, never added any of his victims (er...wives) to the deed on his homestead property and didn't have a [Read More ...]
I'm just kidding, you have no idea why. I did just see that clause in a Will this week and wanted to share with my friends. LOL Regardless.... I'd like to give an update on our operations and our commitment to service in these crazy times. As always, we are dedicated to ensuring a safe [Read More ...]
It's getting hot in the sunshine state, a bit of local real estate news for you. This blog is not just beautiful, it's smart too ;-) This past Tuesday, a Florida state Senate panel approved a proposal that would give the state, not local officials, control over the regulation of Florida short-term rentals. Under current [Read More ...]
By now, we've all digested the controversial news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping down as senior royals and moving to Canada. A lot of opinions have been shared, but I'm going to unpack the estate planning lesson from their withdrawal. Should the Sussexes embrace Canadian culture and get a winter residence here [Read More ...]
