Taylor Swift and her “Anti-Hero” Estate Planning Concerns

When you think of Taylor Swift, I can almost guarantee that estate planning isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Surprisingly, the pop icon’s recent album “Midnights” had some things to say about estate planning.

On Taylor’s new album, the third song entitled “Anti-Hero” lays out some of Taylor’s legal concerns. One of the most notable being:

“I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money,

she thinks I left them in the will,

the family gathers 'round and reads it,

and then someone screams out,

‘she's laughing up at us from hell!’”

As an estate planning attorney, this portion of “Anti-Hero” brings up a series of lessons. First and foremost, while it is wonderful that Taylor specifically disinherited her daughter-in-law in her will, she may not have needed to do so. In most states, there is a law commonly known as the “Slayer Rule” which addresses this issue. The Slayer Rule specifically prohibits a person from inheriting assets from someone if they intentionally caused the death of that individual. For example, if person A causes the death of person B, the state would treat person A as if they had predeceased person B. Accordingly, once the assets are being distributed to the heirs or beneficiaries, person A would be treated as if they were already dead, and person A would be unable to receive any of those assets, even if they are specifically named as a beneficiary.

Second, this portion of “Anti-Hero” highlights the importance of updating your estate plan. If you wish to disinherit a family member, even if you don’t think they are going to kill you, that wish should be clearly addressed within your estate planning documents. By keeping your documents up to date, you can help your executor, trustee, or agent, avoid unnecessary conflicts with family members, minimize or completely avoid litigation, and ultimately ensure that your assets go to the individuals you want to receive them. While Taylor Swift is known to leave “Easter eggs” as clues to her fans, her family and beneficiaries will benefit immensely if she leaves them with a clear and straightforward estate plan.

Lastly, while it is not specifically addressed in this part of “Anti-Hero,” estate planning is critical for everyone, but even more critical for individuals with taxable estates. Depending on the state in which you reside at death, you may be subject to a state-specific estate tax and a federal estate tax. Proactive estate planning can help minimize unnecessary estate taxes, even if you aren’t an international pop star. 

Estate planning isn’t always the most fun thing to think about, but if you have a proper plan in place you won’t need to stay up until midnight worrying. We at Lavelle Law strive to make estate planning easy and straightforward so that you can rest easy knowing you and your family are protected. If you would like to schedule a free consultation to hear more about the importance of estate planning, please call attorney Heather A. McCollum at (847) 705-7555 or email her at hmccollum@lavellelaw.com.