In this episode of Law & Pop Culture, Christine and Kristine delve into the intricate and dramatic saga of Aretha Franklin’s estate. Five years after the Queen of Soul’s passing, the battle over her estimated $18 million estate nears resolution. The episode explores the complexities and legal challenges posed by the discovery of two wills: a handwr…

In this episode of Law & Pop Culture, we go back to a topic we've already discussed but this time with the latest updates. In January 2024 a new lawsuit was filed by L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer, managers of Prince Legacy LLC, the holding company that oversees half of Prince's estate. This lawsuit alleges that four of Prince's family memb…

Welcome to Law & Pop Culture, a podcast in which we talk about the trials and tribulations of celebrity Estate Planning. In this compelling episode, attorneys Kristine Carranceja-Gurski and Christine Matus delve into the crucial importance of keeping estate plans up to date. Focused on the untimely passing of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, the epis…

Welcome to another episode of Law & Pop Culture, this time we are discussing the details of Matthew Perry's estate plan after his unexpected death in October 2023. Luckily it is clear that he had expert guidance and he is one of the celebrities who gets a 10/10 on our Estate Planning scale: he had a Trust in place. Listen to the full episode to lea…

On this Law & Pop Culture episode, we are revisiting the first episode of the podcast in which we talked about Britney Spears' Conservatorship (or Guardianship as it is known in NJ) and the legal battle she undertook to revoke it. This time around we get a fresh new perspective on how she ended up under this Conservatorship thanks to her Memoir: Th…

Welcome to the fourth episode of Season 4! This time we will have a slight change in our format and will focus only on discussing a real-life case. We will discuss Rupert Murdoch’s Succession Plan from the highly successful News Corp. Murdoch's oldest son Lachlan will be taking over as the sole chair of News Corp and Fox. The 52-year-old congratula…

In the final episode of our Jane Austen special, we are discussing the 2020 Emma starring Anna Taylor-Joy, later we talk about Real Estate mogul Leona Helmsley. What do these two women have in common? Bequests on Wills. Bequests are petitions made in these estate planning documents that condition how the assets are to be distributed, in Helmsley's …

On our second episode, we are back with the Jane Austen theme where we talk about another one of her classics: Persuasion. This time the movie came out in 2022 starring Dakota Johnson as the protagonist Anne, and Cosmo Jarvis as her love interest Captain Wentworth. The movie talks about what can happen when one does not correctly handle their inher…

Welcome to the 4th season of Law & Pop Culture! This season we are dedicating the first 4 episodes to one of the greats of literature: Jane Austen. In this episode, we will discuss the book-turned movie called Sense and Sensibility starring Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and romcom heartthrob Hugh Grant. Besides being a love story it al…

In this special "hiatus" episode, Bill, Bailey, and Joseph talk about a letter from the Battle of Franklin Trust's collection written by W.E. Scott, a soldier in the 121st Ohio who was stationed in Franklin in 1863. To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donatio…

In the Dispatch's Season Finale, Bailey, Bill, and Joseph discuss the lead up to the secession of Southern states and the beginning of the Civil War. From December 1860 to June 1861, eleven states left the Union in response to the election of Abraham Lincoln and the breakdown of the political discourse over slavery. Listen in for more! To support T…

Join Eric Jacobson and Joseph Ricci as they discuss some of their favorite (and not so favorite) Civil War films! Does Hollywood get it right? How accurate are the portrayals of the period? Are some of them just too long? Find out when you listen to this episode of the Dispatch!By The Battle of Franklin Trust

In the final episode of season 3, we are going back to talking about Succession Planning and how the ultra-rich do it, and of course, the drama that can come from having all that money. We discuss the first episode of the 2017 tv show TRUST, which details the unraveling of the Getty Family and that famous kidnapping. Later in the episode, we contin…

In this episode titled Plot Twists in Estate Planning, we’ll be talking about what happens when a rightful heir comes forward, or when the person who is supposed to administer the estate gets replaced without their knowledge! We start with our movie starring Adam Sandler and Winona Rider: Mr. Deeds. Later in the episode, we discuss the dispute over…

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e... ⌲Podcast: https://boftdispatc…

The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e... ⌲Podcast: https://boftdispatch.podbean.com…

This week we are once again talking about Elder Care and the conflicts that can cause in families. Let’s start with our movie. It is called Hanging Up and stars rom-com darlings Diane Keaton and Meg Ryan, and Phoebe from Friends herself Lisa Kudrow. Later in the episode, we discuss the drama behind another media mogul whose Estate ends up in an epi…

Tour Guide Talk is back with Bill, David, and Joseph! Join the Dispatch hosts as they discuss the life and times of Generals John Bell Hood and John Schofield. For all their similarities, Bill, David, and Joseph, dismantle the legends and lore that cloud our visions of the two leaders and they delve into the "Duel of the Johns." Be sure to Like and…

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e... ⌲Podcast: https://boftdispatc…

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e... ⌲Podcast: https://boftdispatc…

The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e... ⌲Podcast: https://boftdispatch.podbean.com…

Join Joseph, Bill, and Assistant Curator Bailey Lawrence for this bonus episode of Tour Guide Talk. To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations For a link to our online store, click here: https://store.boft.org/books-and-dvds…

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e... ⌲Podcast: https://boftdispatc…

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about protecting your assets through a divorce or separation, and how the actions may change depending on how amicable or nasty that process is. We begin with the movie: A Simple Favor starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, in which there are some questionable actions from one of our protagonists in regard …

Check out this installment of Chalkboard History with CEO and Historian Eric Jacobson and Joseph Ricci as they discuss how to get honest about history. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https:/…

Join Joseph, Bill, and David for an episode of Tour Guide Talk. The Civil War is one of the most widely written about historical events, but what are our favorite books? Listen to find out! To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations Check out our YouTube v…

Join CEO Eric Jacobson and Joseph Ricci as they discuss the revolving door of leaders in the Army of Tennessee in this episode of Chalkboard History! Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: h…

In this episode we talk about Undue influence, very large Estates, and the legal consequences of taking advantage of the elderly. First we discuss the movie Bernard and Doris starring Susan Sarandon as Doris and Ralph Fiennes as Bernard, in which Doris is a decadent Hollywood star and Bernard her new butler who ends up being her sole heir! After, w…

Welcome back to the second half of the third season of the podcast! On this episode, we will discuss Conditions on Wills. Some of them can be Conditional gifts, these are often referred to as 'contingent gifts' as they rely on the occurrence of the specified contingency. Which is exactly what happens in the movie The Bachelor in which Jimmie finds …

Join Joseph Ricci and Bill Clark for Tour Guide Talk as they unpack some of the myths about the Battles of Spring Hill and Franklin. We hear some of these mentioned in conversation all the time and every good myth, deserves a good myth busting! To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: htt…

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e...…

Join Joseph Ricci and Bill Clark for an episode of Tour Guide Talk as they discuss the life and times of theologian, abolitionist, writer, statesman, scientist, and soldier, Jacob Cox! To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations…

In this episode of Let's Discuss, Law and Pop Culture we will talk about what happens when you create an Estate Plan and have a Will in place but for whatever reason, your beneficiaries can't find it. First, we discuss the movie The Greatest Inheritance starring Mena Suvari, which tells the story of 4 estranged siblings who come home after their mo…

In this episode, we are talking about different scenarios that can happen if we fail to plan ahead, think of them as warnings of what you DON’T want to happen. First, we talk about the movie Death at a Funeral starring Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Zoe Saldana, Chris Rock, Danny Glover, Martin Lawrence, Peter Dinklage, Luke Wilson, and James Marsden, a …

On this episode of Let's Discuss: Pop Culture and Law, we talk about the importance of having a proper plan in place when you have underage children and some things that can go wrong when you don't have it. We start the episode by talking about our first animated film in the podcast: Lilo & Stitch, which besides being about a little girl and her pe…

Welcome to the THIRD season of our podcast Let’s Discuss, Law and Pop Culture, in this space we talk about movies and celebrity cases that deal with Estate Planning matters and discuss if that really happens in real life or what they could have done instead. We are starting this season with a topic we have yet to touch on: Non-Profits and Foundatio…

Join Joseph Ricci and the Battle of Franklin Trust's Assistant Curator, Bailey Lawrence, as they discuss the evolution of the domestic slave trade in the United States. To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations…

Joseph and Battle of Franklin Trust Curator, Joanna Stephens, discuss the ongoing mission to preserve historic structures at each of the three sites. In addition to the structural conservation of the homes and properties, the curatorial department oversees the material collection of the Battle of Franklin Trust and is instrumental in the maintenanc…

This week we will be talking about the type of matters The Matus Law Group is known for: Special Needs Estate Planning. First, we’ll begin with the 1999 movie The Other Sister, starring Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, and Sarah Paulson, in which Carla (Juliette Lewis) has a mental disability but that doesn't stop her from wanting to break free from h…

Join CEO Eric Jacobson and Joseph Ricci as they discuss the formation of the McGavock Confederate Cemetery located at Carnton. In the years immediately following the American Civil War and the Battle of Franklin, John and Carrie McGavock became the caretakers for the remains of the Confederates killed on November 30, 1864. To support The Dispatch a…

Shelia and Joseph finish up their three part discussion of the families featured in our day to day interpretation with an episode on the McGavock family of Carnton. A politically connected, wealthy, slave-holding family before secession and conflict, witnesses to some of the worst moments of the Battle of Franklin, the McGavocks were forever impact…

Join your Dispatch host, Joseph Ricci, and special guest, David Stumpfl, as they discuss the all too often misunderstood topic of Reconstruction. Why is such an integral period of history so easily overlooked or dismissed? Find out with this episode!By The Battle of Franklin Trust

This week we are once again tackling the topic of Succession Planning, which is the process businesses should go through as it determines what would happen to the business if the owner were to pass away suddenly, become incapacitated, or retire. First, we discuss a very talked about TV show that is currently heading to its 4th season. This show is …

Joseph and Shelia discuss the Cheairs family of Rippavilla. Following Nathaniel Cheairs IV, his wife, and four children throughout the war, this episode includes conversations about how the Cheairs existed prior to 1861, how the family was impacted by the war, and how they continued life in the postbellum years. For more on the Cheairs family, foll…

This week we are talking about big Estates and the family disputes that can arise, which are sometimes motivated by greed such as in the movie Steal Big Steal Little starring Andy Garcia who plays twins! Later in the episode, we move on to Jimi Hendrix’s Estate and the disputes that arose between his father and brother in a litigation process that …

Join Joseph Ricci and the CEO and Historian of The Battle of Franklin Trust, Eric Jacobson, for a conversation about the 1858 Illinois Senate race and the now famous Lincoln-Douglas debates that redefined American politics and shaped the discourse in the nation in the immediate years before the Civil War. To support The Dispatch and the efforts of …

In this week's episode, we will be talking about what happens when a person has many beneficiaries, which could result in nasty family disputes. First, we talk about the movie Greedy (1993) starring Kirk Douglas and Michael J. Fox, which centers around a very wealthy man and the fight between his nieces and nephews to be his heirs while he's still …

Shelia and Joseph discuss the experiences of prisoners of war in the American Civil War. Members of all three families, the Cheairs, Carters, and McGavocks, were imprisoned during the war and each family dealt with that experience in different ways.By The Battle of Franklin Trust

The Carters lived in Franklin before, during, and after the American Civil War and their lives were transformed by the war and the Battle of Franklin which raged across their property on November 30, 1864. Learn more about their story with Joseph and Shelia in this episode and check out our most recent YouTube video on the family by following the l…

For decades the story of Confederate Captain Tod Carter dominated the narrative of the Battle of Franklin. The Dispatch hosts, Shelia and Joseph, discuss the lives of six other soldiers who fought in the battle. Historical interpreters at all three sites tell various individual stories of the soldiers in both the Federal and Confederate Armies enga…