Client Conversations, the Role of the Donor Advisor

On March 16, 2010, Lanier Thomas, head of the firm’s Wealth Management team, presented “Client Conversations, the Role of the Donor Advisor,” to the Deans and Associate Deans of the various colleges at California State University, Fresno.  The talk focused on communication skills and techniques designed to help donors clarify their passions and purpose in giving.  Topics included basics of planned giving strategies and the current thinking from the planned giving community on strategic philanthropy.

Mandating Consensus Through No-Contest Clauses

By R. Thomas Dunn

A “no contest clause” in a testamentary trust does not violate California public policy even if one beneficiary’s contest voids other non-contesting beneficiaries’ bequests. (Tunstall v. Wells (2nd Dist., Div. 1, 10/30/2006) B188711.) In Tunstall v. Wells, supra, a trustor formed a testamentary trust providing bequests to his five children. The father left $50,000 to three of his children with the remainder distributed to the other two. The trust contained the following no contest clause:

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Schiavo Case Illustrates Need for Healthcare Directives

By Douglas E. Griffin
Lang, Richert and Patch

Many readers are likely familiar with the Terri Schaivo case and the controversy surrounding it. The basic controversy was over whether Ms. Schiavo was “brain dead” or disabled. Despite court findings that her brain was not working (based on medical evidence) and that she did not wish to be kept alive under the circumstances, her parents strongly contended that she was disabled and not beyond hope. Her husband, however, contended that his wife had told him that she did not want to be kept alive artificially if her brain was not functioning.

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