90210-911: The Preparation of Luke Perry

Thu 28th Mar, 2019 | Blog by Michael Michetti, in estate planning; trusts

90210-911: The Preparation of Luke Perry

By: Ed Smith

Whether you know him from his signature sideburns staring as Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills 90210 or from his unassuming role as Pike in the 1992 blockbuster, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Luke Perry was an icon of the 90s. Unfortunately, like all great stories, it must come to an end.

On March 4, 2019 after suffering from two strokes, the 52 year-young actor and father of two, passed away in California. Fortunately for his children and heirs, Luke Perry prepared his estate and supporting incapacity documents prompted from a scare with colorectal cancer three years previously. According to Forbes Magazine, “the fact that the hospital allowed Perry’s family to end life support means that Luke Perry likely had executed the proper legal documents so that his family could make the decision…without a proper legal document, Luke Perry’s family may have needed an order from a probate court to terminate life support, at least if family members disagreed.”

This is an exemplary story of proactively planning for both life’s expected and unexpected events. When working with clients to prepare their estate plans, we always address the issue of incapacity planning and the importance of having formalized Living Wills & Healthcare Surrogates. Too often people become hyper-focused on the assets and passing away that they overlook the importance of incapacity planning. In essence, there are three stages of life: Alive and well, alive and unwell, and not alive. We help our clients ensure that throughout all stages of life and in their final act, that their loved ones are protected.