Kelley Legacy Law

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

Dinner is on us. Join attorney Michael Kelley for a free, in-person evening of estate planning, explained in plain English, with time for your questions.

You'll learn:
- Wills vs. trusts: what's right for your family
- How probate works and the benefits of planning ahead
- How to protect your home and savings for the people you love
- A simple, step-by-step way to get everything handled

Free to attend. Seating is limited. Reserve your seat:
https://eventkelleylegacylaw.netlify.app

09/28/2026

Peace of mind is closer than you think. Join us for Estate Planning Essentials, a free, live, online webinar for families across Alabama.

No legal jargon. No pressure. Just clear answers.

Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM Central Time
Where: Live online, join from any device
Cost: FREE

Register here:
https://my.demio.com/ref/beLRkTOdYcylHF2e?mc_cid=943066eac1&mc_eid=UNIQID

JOIN OUR FREE WEBINAR!

08/28/2026

Q: "I just made a will. Am I actually done?"

Not quite.

A will doesn't touch your beneficiary designations. Those override your will completely. It doesn't fund your trust if one was created. It doesn't cover incapacity. And it doesn't update itself when your life changes.

The full checklist is in this week's article.

08/26/2026

There's a difference between having a will and having a plan. Most families don't find that out until it matters. This week's article is your checklist for what actually comes after you sign.

08/24/2026

Did you know?

A trust you sign but never fund still goes through probate.

Signing and funding are two completely different steps. Most families only do one.

08/21/2026

A life insurance policy that lapses sends no notification to the beneficiary.
The first time most families find out is when they file a claim and discover the policy is gone.
The policy existed. It just wasn't maintained.

In Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner's case, the policy was never purchased at all.

This week's article breaks down what a verification should have caught.

08/19/2026

Q: "We have a prenup. We're good, right?"

A prenup is the promise. What protects your family is whether the commitments in it were actually carried out, and having someone whose job it is to verify that, every year.

Most families never have anyone check. That's the gap.

This week's article uses the case of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, to show exactly what that gap looks like, and what should have happened instead.

08/17/2026

$1 million life insurance policy. Never purchased.

A Roth IRA he agreed to fund. Never funded.

Annual payments written into their premarital agreement. Never made.

One year after Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner died tragically in a drowning accident on a family vacation, his widow is suing for $1.2 million in unfulfilled promises. The commitments were in writing. They were just never carried out.

This week's blog is about what I would have done differently as their attorney.

Comment PROTECTED and I'll send it to you