What do Shannen Doherty and Dianne Feinstein have in common?
Other than uncommon spellings of their first names, not much, except that the estates of both prominent women were the subject of controversy during the past year.
In Doherty’s case, just a day before her death after a lengthy battle with breast cancer, she filed for an uncontested divorce from her now ex-husband, Kurt Iswarienko. The timing gave her control over her assets instead of placing them either with Iswarienko, who she was divorcing, or a trustee, or the courts.
For Feinstein, she was embroiled in multiple lawsuits before and after her death, including against trustees of her husband’s estate. Her personal collection of art, jewelry and other accessories also fetched record prices at auction. The sale wasn’t a result of a family battle but was handled in accordance with her and her husband’s complex trust.
Those were just two celebrity estate issues that popped up over the course of 2024. Take a look back at these top estate planning stories from the past year.
