Warren Burger, the esteemed jurist who presided over the Supreme Court for many years, apparently did not know how to write a will, let alone provide a good estate plan for himself. He left behind a hand-written will of only 176-words, perhaps half a page. There is no apparent living trust or other vehicle to avoid probate. He did not provide for estate taxes. He did not state the powers of his executors. His handwritten will merely names the executors and the recipients of his estate. Oy.
The result: many thousands of dollars in attorneys fees and many months of court process to wind up his estate.
The lesson: Even the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court should hire a good estate planning attorney.
