After the death of legendary singer Tony Bennett in 2023, disagreements arose among family members over how his trust and estate were being handled. Lawsuits followed, with allegations of poor communication, lack of transparency, and conflicts of interest by the person in charge of administering the trust.
While every family is different, the issues being raised in this case are surprisingly common—and they offer some important lessons for all of us.
So, What Happened?
In simple terms, the conflict centers on who was placed in control and how that control was exercised. Bennett’s son, who had served as his longtime personal manager, also was appointed the Trustee of his Living Trust. As Trustee, he held significant authority over trust administration and valuable assets (like Bennett’s musical catalog and memorabilia), while other beneficiaries (his sisters) felt left out of the process and unsure about how decisions were being made. In April 2025, a lawsuit was filed alleging the son exploited his multiple roles to benefit himself financially and failed to report to or make fair distributions to his sisters.
Important Lessons for Families
- Who You Choose as Trustee Really Matters. Naming one child or other relative as Trustee can place that person in a difficult position, particularly when siblings are involved. Even if real conflicts of interest don’t occur, perceived conflicts can cause suspicion and fighting. On the other hand, so may merely naming several children to act as Co-Trustees together. This is where naming an independent third party – like a bank or trust company – as Trustee (or Co-Trustee with a child) may make better sense.
- Complex Assets Need Extra Planning. Businesses (including rental real estate), intellectual property, and valuable collections may require customized trust provisions. One child may be appointed to manage the day-to-day business operations, but report to another party appointed as the Trustee. Key pieces of valuable collections may be designated to go to certain beneficiaries.
- Documents Alone Aren’t Enough. A trust that looks good on paper can still create problems if administration issues are not addressed properly by the Trustee. This is why our clients are given a Trustee Manual to pass on to their Successor Trustees, and we offer a free consultation to the Successor Trustees when a client passes, before getting started with the trust and estate administration.
Why This Matters to You
Most families want the same thing: to make things easier for their loved ones, not harder. Unfortunately, many estate plans focus on avoiding probate or saving taxes, while overlooking how a trust will actually function after death. That’s often where problems begin.
Our Advice
If your estate plan names a family member as trustee, includes business interests or other complex assets, or has not been reviewed in several years, it may be time to take another look. Give us a call.
A thoughtful review today can help prevent confusion, family conflict, and unnecessary legal costs later.
