One important element to remember about estate planning is that it is rarely a singular process. Wakefield residents asked to serve as executors or personal representatives may be asked to continue to serve in (or return to) the roles over a period of months, years or even decades. This is especially true in cases involving intellectual and artistic assets, as the future use of those assets will have to be done with the permission (and at times, the oversight) of the estate. In certain cases, litigation may even result of an estate-protected element’s representation.
That is exactly what happened with the stage adaption of the iconic American novel . Famed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was authorized by Harper Lee (the novel’s author) to adapt the story to a Broadway script shortly before her death. Yet despite the novel tackling racial issues that remain relevant in today’s world, its treatment of those issues reflects the attitudes of the time when Lee wrote the novel decades ago. Thus, reports say that Sorkin attempted to introduce more contemporary elements into the story. Representatives from Lee’s estate, however, were concerned about how those changes would impact the perception of the novel’s iconic characters. A lawsuit was filed objecting to the changes. After discussions, the estate agreed to drop many of its objections in return for some of new content to be removed. The producers of the play agreed, and the production is now set to begin its run on Broadway.
Examples such as this may serve as evidence to support just how complex administering over an estate can be. Yet even those unfamiliar with estate and probate law may find this task to be achievable if they have the advice and expertise of an experienced attorney to rely on.