The Legal Aspects of Michael Jackson's Death

Michael Jackson's death is a shock, and on top of Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon's death I'm sure the teens and children of the 80's are reeling - I am.

Ed McMahon had a long career dating back to the 1950s in TV and worked with Johnny Carson even before the Tonight Show. Being the master of ceremonies on Star Search showed he could be a host, not just the second chair. Farrah was on one of my all-time favorite show: Charlie's Angels. She's been ill for quite a while waging a war with rectal cancer that she thought she had beaten. Her special with Barbara Walters was on Thursday night and had huge ratings.

Michael Jackson, however, is a different story. His death rocked us all yesterday - whether you're a fan or not. His controversial life will probably continue to be debated for a long time, but now isn't the time for that. His fans, young and old, were anxiously awaiting his upcoming concert and seeing him in person next month in Britain, and after a recent physical all was set to go.

As with any sudden celebrity death many of the issues that surrounded his life will be discussed in the next few months or so. Lawyers.com will have coverage about topics that don't just apply to Michael Jackson, but to your life as well, such as custody of his three children, what the autopsy will reveal and how his estate will be divided.

• What happens if you die and don't have a will?
• When & why you should update your will?
• Have you written your will so there won't be Grounds for Contesting it?
• How to provide for your children in your will?
• What issues should be considered when deciding how to provide for custody of your children?
• Who decides what the best interests of the children are? Even though this isn't a divorce case, Michael Jackson is no longer married to the mothers of his children.

Other topics we'll cover are: Medicine interaction: What is physician/user responsibility; Combining medicines/herbal remedies/foods and how the combo can be toxic; What can you expect when a family member dies and you need to execute the will; Outstanding debt – who pays for it.

While it may seem like we're joining in the media frenzy to take advantage of Michael Jackson's death, we're really trying show how your life could be affected by the same issues even if you're not a celebrity.