Lord Acton, Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton (April 5, 1887) "Let every eye negotiate for itself, And trust no agent." Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599) I. What are they? "A power of attorney is an instrument in writing authorizing another to act as one’s agent. The agent holding the power of attorney is termed [...]

To bed,to bed,Says Sleepyhead? Let's tarry a while, says Slow. Put on the pot, Says Greedygut, We'll sup before we go. Nursery Rhyme (1784) In today's world of greed, it's unusual to find somebody who doesn't want their share of an estate, but that's exactly what renunciations and disclaimers are for--to renounce what would otherwise [...]

Felix: Oh, I’m awfully sorry. (Sighs.) It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it? Divorce? Gwendolen: It can be . . . if you haven’t got the right solicitor. Neil Simon, The Odd Couple (1966) Should an estate planner know anything about divorces? Many estate planners would prefer not to be told anything about divorce law, unless [...]

"Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs? Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth? Let's choose executors and talk of wills." Shakespeare, Richard II III, ii, 144 (1595-1596) "It has been said, and I think accurately, that a will is more apt to be the [...]

"The idea of a trust is so familiar to us all that we never wonder at it. And yet surely we ought to wonder. If we were asked what was the greatest and most distinctive achievement performed by Englishmen in the field of jurisprudence I cannot think that we could have any better answer to [...]