Estate Battle of Famous Actress Spotlights The Need For Planning

Anne Heche, a famous actress, recently passed away in August of this year due to an unexpected & tragic accident. Heche left behind two sons.

An unimaginably difficult situation for her sons, has been made even more difficult, because Heche died without a will.  Unfortunately, this now forces the State of California to administer her Estate, rather than by her choices that would have been clearly explained through completed & executed estate planning documents. 

Instead of being able to grieve their loss with a clear plan in place, based on her wishes, now her eldest son has been forced to petition a Los Angeles court, requesting control of his mother’s estate.  He has requested that the court appoint a guardian to represent his younger, half-brother’s interests in court, but that request has been contested by the boy’s father.

Thus, unfortunately, now begins a court battle over an estate and its’ administration, rather than a united effort to implement the wishes of the decedent.