Hungry for more celebrity news? Celebrity news in the estate planning world that is.

In last week's blog I talked about a few celebrities who had no will and how much turmoil it created. I also shared with you how great of a job Farrah Fawcett did in addressing her son's trust fund. This is such a fascinating topic and so much can be learned from what the rich and famous have or have not done in regard to their estate planning. I would like to share a few other high profile cases that we can learn from and some additional "what not to dos."

Oftentimes the passing of a person can quickly turn into law suits among family members, and this was surely the case with the passing of Dennis Hopper. Dennis was in the midst of a difficult divorce and after his death it became even uglier. His wife turned the divorce into two law suits against his children and the trustees of his estate. She claims she was victimized by him, his children and the trustees and her education and career had been sabotaged. She alleges he was manipulated by his children and it drove a wedge between them.

In contrast to Dennis Hopper, 32 year old Brittney Murphey made some smart decisions when she married her husband. After her marriage she updated her will and trust. Prior to her marriage everything was to be left to her mother. She wanted this to be the same after her marriage so when she updated her estate plan she included a provision clearly stating it was her intent to leave her husband out of the estate and it was all to go to her mother. Had she not done so, her husband would have had some rights to her estate, under California law.

Think about Elizabeth Taylor whose fortune is estmiated to be worth one billion dollars. Elizabeth had 8 marriages, has 4 children from 3 different fathers, 10 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. This could set up an enourmous amount of chaos if she does not have a clearly defined and strong estate plan. Let's hope she does. Here are a few mistakes we hope that Elizabeth Taylor and all of you avoid:

• Do nothing - like Jimi Hendrix
• Don't update when a life change accurs like the birth of a child - Heath Ledger's mistake
• Not finishing what you started with your plan - Just like Michael Jackson
• Verbal promises - Did Marlon Brando promise his housekeeper part of his fortune?
• Leaving your intent unclear - such as the case of Princess Di

I hope you already have all of your estate planning in order and have been proactive. If not, now is a great time to consider the lessons these lovely people have to teach us.