Recently, Michael Jackson's mother and other family members announced that they have planned a tribute concert in his honor to be held later this year. However, the executors of Michael Jackson's estate, have stated that they were not aware of any such plan for a tribute and that they were not asked for permission to use his name. This may cause any such tribute to be held up or cancelled in it's entirety.
This is only one of many instances of ongoing battles between the executors of Mr. Jackson's estate and his family. Of course, this is an extremely high profile case with a lot of assets involved, so it is to be expected. But similar situations can occur in not so substantial estates where beneficiaries may not agree with the appointed executor(s) on how the estate ought to be managed. And they may not be aware of the intricate stipulations of the trust, such as in this case, the use of the decedent's name to promote a public event.
A professional Estate Administration Attorney can help you understand your rights to an estate as a beneficiary and help you avoid costly legal battles that may arise from simple mistakes that you may not even know you're making.
*This blog entry was not written by an Attorney and should not be constituted as professional legal advice.