In this episode of Having Fun with Death & Taxes, estate planning attorney Leslie Marenco and family law attorney Vanessa Vasquez de Lara break down one of the most chaotic and bizarre celebrity probate battles: the estate of Howard Hughes.

When the billionaire aviator and serial entrepreneur died in 1976 at the age of 70, he left behind no known will. What followed was an absolute legal circus, with over 600 people coming forward to claim a piece of the billion-dollar pie.

This episode explores the wild intersection of family law and estate planning, diving deep into the legal realities of secret marriages, the dangers of international "quickie" divorces, and the strict burdens of proof for common-law relationships. It reveals how relying on verbal promises instead of an updated estate plan can leave surviving partners complet ...