Coleman Dies at 42

Gary Coleman, the child star of "Different Strokes", suffered a brain hemorrhage and went into a coma. Life support was withdrawn and he soon passed on. It was reported that he had named his personal representative to speak for him regarding healthcare matters when he could not speak for himself. Through that power, his agent (his ex-wife) withdrew life support.

Now at issue is the remains of his body. Who has the rights thereto? His parents or his ex-wife. Unless he provided otherwise for his remains, the parents would have the priority right. Of course, as with all of Hollywood matters, the drama continues to unfold. Did he remarry the ex-wife and therefore, elevate her status to wife?

I will continue to follow but in the meantime I continue to stress the importance of your estate plan and how it covers all of your assets, even your physical body. Leave your comments here or contact us at http://www.ythlaw.com/

Living Wills - Surrogates

I continue to encourage people to get their living will done now while they are able to address the remote possibility of a catastrophic illness. It is important that you name a surrogate. More importantly, you must let the person you name as surrogate know that you named them and then get their confirmation that they can adhere to your wishes.

Do not name someone who CAN NOT agree with having life support withdrawn if you ever experience an end-stage condition or a permanent state of unconsciousness. Unfortunately, this has happened because either the person did not ask or confirm with their surrogate ahead of time. Listen and know that you are making the right decision with naming your surrogate.

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