My great-grandfather was a farmer and had about 23 acres when he died. My grandfather passed away before my great-grandfather. The land was put in a trust for my mother and uncles. My mother passed away two years ago.

If you do not learn from your mistakes, you are doomed to repeat them. In estate planning, if you do not learn from other’s mistakes, you are likely to repeat them. Mistakes in the estate planning of high-profile celebrities is one very good way to learn the lesson of what not to do. Here are eight celebrity estates, where the mistakes have been reported in the news over the years.

This legal document can also be beneficial in other situations, such as if you want to leave an inheritance to someone but aren’t sure they will use the gift wisely.

Beneficiaries, in general, are people or entities that the holder of an account designates to receive the assets in the account, typically, in the event of the account holder’s death.

One of the most important decisions you will ever make is choosing a fiduciary.

Should I terminate these trusts and just have my children as beneficiaries of my investment accounts and life insurance?