The bar convention for Oklahoma (Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Bar Association) took place last week in Oklahoma City. There are numerous activities over several days, including opportunities for attorneys to meet together for learning and discussion. I presented on … more

This blog post is the fourth in a series looking at the specifics of what Oklahoma law requires in order to have a valid holographic or handwritten will. The first three requirements are: -Entirely Handwritten; -Handwritten by the testator/maker; –Dated; … more

The last few blog posts have looked at the law on handwritten or holographic wills in Oklahoma. They can become major issues in estates, as the Aretha Franklin estate illustrates. The major requirements for a holographic will have been laid … more

The last blog post in this series on handwritten or holographic wills had this title: Entirely in TESTATOR’S handwriting. The point of that title was to emphasize the handwriting must be the testator’s. Whether out of noble motives, such as … more

In the last post we looked at the basic rule for a valid handwritten or “holographic” will in Oklahoma. The first requirement is that it must be “entirely written . . . by the hand of the testator himself,” as … more

Did Aretha Franklin leave a handwritten will? Or several handwritten Wills? That is what the Detroit Free Press is reporting. Previously Thought No Will It was previously reported by the same source and others that Aretha Franklin died without a … more

If you are a Trustee or Beneficiary of a Trust and you have major questions about how the Trust is supposed to work, Oklahoma law may have a helpful avenue for you.  (See this prior blog post for a breakdown … more

When the Settlor (i.e. creator) of a Trust dies, it is usually an important event in the life of the Trust.  Legal and other work becomes necessary.  This is especially true if the Trust holds real estate.  (See my prior … more

The last blog post looked at the three basic parties to a trust: the Settlor, the Trustee, and the Beneficiary. When Does a Trust Begin? This blog post looks at the issue of when does a trust begin. Or said … more

Context This Estate Planning 101 blog series began with this foundation: there are three essential topics for a basic estate planning discussion in Oklahoma. The first of those topics was: 3 basic documents. Discussions of the Last Will and Testament, … more