Corporate Law Blog

A Hollywood Lesson for Everyday People: Trusts

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, an accomplished actor, died suddenly in February at age 46 of a suspected drug overdose. Seymour had a long-term companion, Marianne O'Donnell, with whom he had three young children. Under the terms of his Will, a significant chunk of his $35 million-plus estate was left to O'Donnell. The media and estate planners have examined the Will, which has led to several estate planning issues garnering public attention. His Will was written before the birth of his last two children and never updated; thus, his estate plan is completely silent about his wishes for them. The actor's death also highlights the effect that marriage can have on an estate plan. Because Hoffman and O'Donnell were not married, nearly $14 million must be paid in estate taxes - an outcome that could have been avoided had the couple tied the knot (at the federal level, any property passing to a spouse at death is free of estate taxes, therefore delaying any federal estate tax until the surviving spouse's death). More >