A week after actor Mickey Rooney passed away, a court has decided where he will be buried. Sadly, and once again, Hollywood provides another teachable moment about the hazards of poor planning.
Here are two of the biggest issues the media has covered, and how they could have been handled more effectively:
Funeral and Burial Wishes: The first week after Rooney’s death, his family spent fighting over where his remains would be taken and buried. Most people wouldn’t purposefully create this extra stress for their family, but by not having burial instructions written out, you may be doing exactly that. Rooney’s situation could have been easily avoided if he had just prepared funeral and burial instructions at the same time he updated his will just a month before he died. You can download our Funeral Planning Guide on our Resources page here.
Elder Fraud and Abuse: Sadly, we know that instances of elder abuse are on the rise, and Mickey Rooney himself even testified before Congress about how it happened to him. Many of these situations involve misuse of funds by someone who knows the elder, which is what happened in the case of Rooney. By naming good helpers and putting safeguards in place with the help of a qualified elder law attorney, many of these situations can be avoided. Read our series on elder fraud to learn more.
