Heath Ledger's Family Feuds Over His Will

A family financial squabble has erupted between Heath Ledger's uncles, Mike and Haydn Ledger and Heath's father Kim. The uncles have alleged that Kim Ledger may not be a good administrator of the estate of Heath Ledger given that he was once removed as an executor of his father's multi-million dollar estate over 15 years ago. "It plunged into enormous debt," Mike Ledger told People magazine. "Our only vested interest is to assure that Matilda is well looked after." Heath Ledger created his will before the birth of his daughter Matilda. Heath he did not update his will to leave any assets to his daughter or Michelle prior to his death in January at the age of 28 from a mixture of prescription drugs.

Wills are not just for celebrities and old people. A will is something that a person should have even if they have only fair amount of assets. Parents with children should definitely have a will that includes their children and other beneficiaries. Married, unmarried, and domestic partners also should have a will that provides for their family. The purpose of the will is to give away your possessions to the people or entities that you care about or love. A will should be updated to correspond with any important change in a person's life (i.e. retirement, divorce, birth, death, etc.) and reviewed at least once a year. Additionally, it is important to update beneficiary designations (i.e. retirement accounts, pensions, insurance, etc.). You should contact an experienced estate planning attorney when it is time to draft or change your will as well as beneficiary designation. "A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes," said Mark Twain. It is your responsibility to protect your family after your death by being responsible for their welfare while your alive and preparing a proper estate plan.