Manish C. Bhatia

To provide each person the comfort and peace of mind that comes with making sure that your loved ones are taken care of and your wishes are respected.  Through clear communication and accessible, reliable service, we can  work together to make the most of your assets and ensure that this mission is accomplished as efficiently as possible.

Please explore the legal services I  provide and how these services will help you protect your wishes, your assets and most importantly, your family.

Life insurance can serve many purposes.  Whether you own a policy as income replacement security for your family, through your employer or as an investment asset, life insurance can be a multi-dimensional tool.  However, with all of the financial planning instruments that are available, few owners of life insurance understand all of its potential benefits and even fewer title their policies properly in order to maximize the value of the asset.

For a detailed discussion of the benefits of estate planning with life insurance, as well as how to plan with an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (“ILIT”) and some of the landmines to sidestep in order to maximize the benefits of an ILIT, please see the May 2012 Newsletter.

Celebrity estate plans are often the subject of much discussion and speculation with regard to the decedents’ relationships and mentality.  Whitney Houston’s estate will likely be no different.  Houston, who died on February 11, 2012, left only a Will, filed in Fulton County, Georgia, which leaves her entire estate to her only child, Bobbi Kristina, age 19.  The Will requires the trustee to distribute 1/10 of the trust estate to Bobbi at age 21, another 1/6 at age 25, and the balance at age 30.  Until then, the trustee can make distributions for Bobbi’s benefit.  However, if Bobbi fails to survive the probate of Houston’s estate, the assets will pass to Houston’s mother, father and two brothers.

Aside from the celebrity gossip regarding Houston and her ex-husband, Bobby Brown, there are many lessons that we can learn from Houston’s estate plan.

For a detailed discussion of Houston’s estate plan and the lessons to be learned from it, please see the April 2012 Newsletter.