Since this (to put it mildly) is getting a lot of media attention, here's the legal background:

A guardian is in charge of a minor's care and custody, which means their food, clothing, shelter, education and medical needs. A guardian has to be appointed by a court order -- it's a kind of custody order really, granting someone other than a parent legal authority over a minor's care. If there's an emergency, a court can grant a temporary guardianship quickly.

But between now and the hearings, Katherine Jackson will have to do her best to find and notify Deborah Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two eldest children (his youngest was born to a surrogate mother who presumably waived any parental rights as part of the surrogacy).  At the hearing, a judge will consider what would be in the best interest of Jackson's children. The notification of the children's mother is required in order to make sure that she has a chance to object to the guardianship at that hearing -- ordinarily, a parent has precedence over anyone else unless there are unusual circumstances, which abound here.

If Michael Jackson's will is found, and proved to be his valid last wishes, and the nominated guardian is not Katherine Jackson, the named person may contest the guardianship proceeding, too. But ultimately, it will be up to the judge to sort out the competing claims and decide what's best for the children.

It is reported that the petition also requested that Katherine Jackson be named the temporary guardian of the children's estate,  which means the person responsible for safeguarding Jackson's assets for the benefit of the children -- but this was rejected. AP also reports that Katherine Jackson has filed to be named the administrator of Jackson's estate -- the person who must inventory and appraise the estate's assets and manage them during what's likely to be a long and complicated probate proceeding.

Roth IRAs, for those of you in need of a quick review, are retirement savings accounts where you pay the income taxes due when you contribute to the account -- then, it grows virtually tax-free and your withdrawals are also tax-free (but you don't get the income tax deduction when you contribute the money).

So, for those of you whose traditional IRAs are now worth far less than they used to be worth (that's the bad news part), converting to a Roth IRA in 2010 could be a great idea: Since the account is now worth so much less, the taxes on the conversion will also be much less than they might have been, and if tax rates go up in the future, as many predict they will, you'll have already paid the taxes due on the account.

For a good article on the ins and outs of the new rules, see this article from the Wall Street Journal online.

• Put their cell phone and landline on the FTC's Do Not Call Registry at https://www.donotcall.gov/.
• Call the AARP's Fraud Fighter Call Center at 1-800-646-2283.
• Put scam mailings into an envelope and forward them to the Postal Inspector-Suspected Mail Fraud -- no postage is required.

Self-help is a great option, of course. But for those who want a real-live person to sit down, review your finances, and either make suggestions on what to do better or take over  management of your assets, buyer beware. Financial planners are poorly regulated, poorly credentialed, and your remedies against a crooked one are few.

SmartMoney magazine has a great article on how to be an informed consumer. Here are some of the highlights:

• Find out how long the planner's been practicing. Better yet, ask them if they've passed the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) exam -- that's an exam that only 56,000 planners have passed out of the 650,000 folks out there who say they are financial planners.
• Notice if they are trying to give you advice or trying to sell you products. Stay away from those who are primarily selling products -- the odds are that they're steering you toward products that get them maximum compensation rather than those that will meet your needs best.
• Ask them if they are preparing your financial plan or hire outside consultants to do so.
• Find out how they are compensated. Are they fee-only or commission-based? It's not that one is necessarily better than another, but it's important to understand how they are being paid and to make sure that they will act in your, not their, best interests.
• Check with the SEC to see if they have received any complaints about the planner.
  

The proposal is just one of many in the 651-page bill, which also includes changes to the way that health insurance is offered and taxed.

Collectibles dealer John Stasso amassed a large private collection worth millions, consisting of manuscripts, ancient books, artifacts, and antiquities that began with a trip to Italy in 1958. When his son, Joseph Sisto, realized that many of the artifacts had been illegally smuggled out of Italy, he confronted his father.  When Joseph found out that his father had died, he immediately called the police. Two hours later, the FBI arrived, along with specialists who will inspect and return the artifacts to Italy, many of which hadn't been seen for a very long time.

"It's a huge relief," said Joseph, "because as much as I love my... family, this will also help them... They won't have to live with the oppression of thinking they have stolen or smuggled goods... It's sort of like trying to own a Mona Lisa in your house, you know."

Family members, her beloved Chihuahua, Seri, and a physician were with her when she died, according to Compassion & Choices Washington, the organization that sponsored the measure, which was adopted by Washington voters in November.

Rules vary state to state, but generally, if all you can find is a copy of a will, you should still submit that to the probate court. The thing is, you'll have to prove to the court that this is the authentic last will of the person who died and that there wasn't some other original will floating around. To do so, you'll probably have to call witnesses who can testify about the circumstances under which the will was made and provide evidence that the will was never revoked.

None of that is easy -- or cheap. The easiest way to avoid leaving your heirs with this kind of hassle is to make sure you -- and a trusted family member or friend -- know where your original documents are and to keep them in a safe, and accessible, spot.

These days, cash is king -- and some of us just don't have enough of it. If you need to borrow money from a family member to make it through until times are better, you're not alone. But, please, do everyone a favor and be formal about it. That means put the loan in writing, generating a payment schedule, and agreeing on an interest rate that's at least what the government has published (don't worry, it's really low right now). Here's a good overview.

Why is this an estate planning issue? Because if you die unexpectedly, a loan that's been properly handled is much easier for your family to understand and take account of. It's hard enough to sort out family finances when there's been a death, but when important financial transactions have been handled with a nod and a wink, extremely messy situations can result.

Here are the basics:

1. For any loan over $10,000, make sure you're charging at least the applicable federal rate for the loan. You can find that rate on the IRS's website.
   
2. Write down the terms of the loan in a promissory note. Here's a nifty one you can download instantly.
3. Print out and follow a loan amortization schedule, so you know what the monthly payments will be. This free program will help you figure it out.

It's not that your estate plan will be invalid in another state. With the exception of gay marriage (in some states), contracts signed in one state are valid in another. But it can create inconvenience for your heirs if they have to administer an estate under, say, California law, if a parent died while residing in Georgia -- especially if the kids live in Georgia too.

Also, powers of attorney, which are important legal documents granting another person the right to act on your behalf with respect to property and health care, are created by state law, and your rights, especially with respect to health care decisions, vary from state to state. For that reason, and additionally because banks and doctors like working with forms that they know, it's a good idea to at least create new powers of attorney if you move to a new state.

The prosecution claims that Marshall, and co-defendant (and attorney) Francis X. Morrissey, had Ms. Astor sign papers and make changes to her will that increased Marshall's share of his mother's estate. In addition, Marshall stands accused of paying himself $500,000 a year as Astor's financial adviser and transferring her property to himself.

The case was prompted, the Washington Post reports, by a court petition filed by Philip Marshall, Astor's grandson. The petition alleged that his father was robbing Astor and "neglecting her health and hygiene."

What can the rest of us learn from this mess? First, family members should pay close attention to their elders and make sure that they are comfortable, safe, and well-taken care of. Second, family members should carefully scrutinize the financial well-being of the elderly and question any suspicious transactions or property transfers.

If you suspect that someone is taking advantage of an elderly family member, find out how they've gained access to that person's finances. If your loved one still has capacity (the ability to understand what they're signing), they can make a responsible person their agent for finance using a durable power of attorney for finances. The agent can then block the evil-doer's access to the money. If an elderly person no longer has mental capacity, you'll have to go to court and petition to be named that person's legal conservator or adult guardian to protect their finances.