On September 20th, Liliane Bettencourt, the richest woman in the world died at age 94. Scandals of several types plagued the last years of her life and the lives of those around her going as far as alleged campaign contributions in great excess of the legal limit to former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. Aside from the political scandals, Bettencourt was involved in intense family drama to put it mildly. The heiress to the L’Oreal fortune amassed an incredible amount of wealth and at her death was worth approximately $44 billion. Her father, and known Nazi sympathizer, started the company that owns brands such as Garnier and Lancome and…
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Changing Domicile: How Mental Capacity Factors In
Domicile is a relatively straight forward legal concept that combines the place where a person permanently resides with where he intends to remain. However, what happens when a person who has been adjudicated incompetent desires to permanently move. Can he possess the requisite intent to change his domicile in legal terms? The Georgia Court of Appeals recently took up this question in Estate of Milton Theophilus Pond, II. In the case, a probate court granted Milton Pond guardianship of his son, M.P., who was an adult man with autism. Since M.P.’s childhood, he lived with his mother,…
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Four Legal Documents Dementia Patients Should Have in Place
A diagnosis of dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease and other memory loss and/or cognitive reasoning disorders, is potentially devastating for both the patient and their family. Following a dementia diagnosis, it is important to execute these four essential planning documents to avoid further hardship in the form of costly court battles. (1) Durable Power of Attorney – A durable power of attorney allows the diagnosed person (the “principal”) to appoint another person (the “power of attorney”) to act on the principal’s behalf if and when the principal becomes incapacitated. A power of attorney can have a wide range of authority and discretion, from paying bills to selling…
