A court in another state was the location where Hollywood superstar Burt Reynolds’ final will was filed recently. The actor passed away suddenly after a 911 call reported that the 82-year-old male was having breathing trouble and was suffering chest pains. Rescue workers arrived and transported Reynolds to a hospital, but he did not survive. As sometimes happens when wills and trusts are filed in Illinois, there were a few surprising details attached to Reynolds’ case.
Millions of Burt Reynolds fans were saddened by the recent death of the movie star. Since then, some have been surprised by the news that Reynolds appointed his niece as executor of his estate rather than his own son. He also appears to have explicitly omitted his son from his final will.
The document states that Reynolds provided for his son while he was still alive through a declaration of trust. However, the terms of that trust were not disclosed. As it stands, all of his possessions have been placed in a trust to which he has appointed his niece as his personal representative.
There are various types of wills and trusts, some which are active during an estate owner’s lifetime and others that do not apply until the estate owner has died. If an Illinois estate owner merely neglects to mention a son or daughter in a final will, a challenge to the will may follow the testator’s death. Typically, these types of challenges are based on claims that the estate owner was unduly influenced or not of sound mind when he or she signed the will. Anyone with questions regarding such matters can seek guidance from an experienced estate administration attorney.
