Most probate and estate planning newsletters like to take time out at the holidays to encourage families to discuss their wills, trusts and so forth. The theory is that the family will be together, and that's a perfect time to talk about issues that concern everyone. Our take on that is this: Why not add politics and religion to the mix, with a little Occupy Miami thrown in for good measure? Thanksgiving can be stressful enough -- why borrow trouble by fanning the flames of a will contest over sweet potatoes and marshmallows?

No, we prefer to delve into the probate problems of dead celebrities. We realize we've just finished up a couple of posts about James Brown, but when Michael Jackson's estate comes up, it's almost impossible to resist. And it did come up in a recent Forbes.com column.

The Jackson estate woes had been back-burnered by the murder trial of the singer's personal physician. The jury convicted the doctor a few weeks ago, and the airwaves are now clear of daily updates about testimony and profoundly sad recordings of Jackson's phone calls to the doctor.

When Jackson died in 2009, the press quickly spread word that his estate was deeply in debt. The singer's last concert series in England was supposed to pay off some of the creditors. With the tour out, the executors of the estate looked at the last best hope of refilling the coffers: unreleased and rereleased audio and video recordings of the entertainer doing what he did best.

The strategy apparently worked. Forbes reported recently that Jackson was the top-earning dead celebrity of 2011. Estimated earnings? $170 million.

Jackson had established a trust for his kids and his mom, but he hadn't transferred any money into it. Nothing could pass to the trust until the estate had been through probate. The executors/trustees have now taken care of that, and the family may soon see the first installment of their inheritance.

Clearly, this isn't how things are supposed to work. When establishing a trust, the trustor usually transfers savings, real estate or something of value to fund it. Jackson's estate was unusual on so many planes.

We'll continue with more celebrity probate in our next post.

Source: Forbes.com, "Pass The Turkey With A Side Of Celebrity Estate Planning Stories," Danielle and Andy Mayoras, Nov. 14, 2011