If you work in the entertainment industry, your estate plan will probably look very different from the average California family’s. And yet, many actors, directors, musicians, writers, and producers put it off their asset protection for too long.

Estate planning for entertainers isn’t just about homes and bank accounts. It’s also about intellectual property, tax planning, who makes informed decisions about an estate, royalties, image and likeness rights, business entities, and privacy. Without the proper estate planning documents and the help of a Burbank estate planning lawyer, assets can become lost in the probate process, mismanaged, or lost entirely.

For Hollywood professionals in Los Angeles and Burbank, estate planning is a form of career protection that lasts beyond your lifetime.

How Entertainment Industry Estate Planning Is Different

Unlike traditional professions, entertainers often earn income long after their work is wrapped. Royalties, residuals, licensing deals, streaming revenue, and brand partnerships can continue for decades and can be passed down to family members after the entertainer dies.

Legal planning for an entertainer’s estate plan should address:

  • The payment process for ongoing royalty and residual income
  • Intellectual property ownership and control
  • Public image and likeness rights after death
  • Complex tax considerations, like estate taxes
  • Multiple properties, business entities, and other legal matters

Generic estate plans aren’t designed for complexity. At Best Coast Estate Law, we offer a complimentary consultation, and can customize an estate plan to meet the unique challenges entertainers face.

Royalties, Residuals, and Long-Term Income Streams

Entertainment income is rarely linear. One year may bring massive success, and the next could be quiet. But residuals can continue to flow in unpredictable ways.

A good estate plan should clearly define who receives royalty income, protect minors or vulnerable beneficiaries, ensure payments continue smoothly without court interference.

Using trusts to manage these income streams helps entertainers avoid probate in California and ensures financial stability for loved ones.

How to Protect Intellectual Property

For many entertainers, intellectual property (IP) is the single most valuable asset they own.

IP can include music catalogs and publishing rights, screenplays and written works, film, television, and streaming residuals, trademarks and brand licensing, and ownership interests in production companies.

Our experienced Burbank estate planning attorneys can help structure a family trust so that long-term royalties are preserved, taxes are minimized, and creative control over work is protected.

Image and Likeness Rights After Death

In California, your right of publicity (ie: your name, voice, signature, image, and likeness) can continue after death. But only if it’s properly addressed in your estate plan.

Without clear instructions, your likeness may be exploited in ways you never intended, heirs or a surviving spouse may fight over control, and valuable licensing opportunities could get lost.

For actors, musicians, and public-facing creatives, posthumous image rights can be worth millions. Proper estate planning allows you to decide who controls your image, how it can (or cannot) be used, whether AI recreations or digital licensing are permitted.

At Best Coast Estate Law, we offer celebrity estate planning tips that many entertainment industry professionals overlook until it’s too late.

Multiple Homes, Businesses, and Jurisdictions

Many Hollywood professionals own:

  • Primary residences in Los Angeles
  • Vacation homes in Palm Springs, or out of state
  • Investment properties
  • LLCs, S-corps, or production companies

Each asset may be governed by different laws, tax rules, and ownership structures, but a well-designed entertainment estate plan coordinates all of these elements to reduce risk and avoid expensive legal conflicts.

Working with a local estate planning attorney in Los Angeles or Burbank ensures your plan reflects California law while accounting for national and international assets.

Estate Planning During Incapacity (Not Just After Death)

Just like everyone else, entertainers can by victims of injury, illness, or unexpected incapacity. An estate plan should include:

  • Durable powers of attorney
  • Healthcare directives
  • Clear authority for business decisions

These components can ensure that your career, finances, and creative work continue to be managed according to your wishes. And without court intervention. Some entertainment industry professionals even have their business manager assigned as their beneficiary.

Why Hollywood Professionals Work With Specialized Estate Lawyers

Entertainment professionals need attorneys who understand the entertainment industry, California estate law, intellectual property rights, and high-asset trust structures

We Keep Estate Planning Private

Probate proceedings are public record. For entertainers, that can be a serious problem. Probate can expose net worths, beneficiaries, and other personal relationships.

However, the trust-based estate planning that we do at Best Coast Estate Law keeps private matters out of court and out of the headlines. Privacy is one of the biggest reasons celebrities and entertainment industry professionals work with an experienced entertainment trust and estate lawyer rather than relying on standard wills.

A Legacy Is Bigger Than a Will

Your creative work has value far beyond your lifetime. The right estate plan protects a creator’s voice, vision, and legacy.

If you’re searching for estate planning for entertainers, celebrity estate planning tips, or a trusted Burbank estate planning attorney, call Best Coast Estate Law, P.C. full a free consultation. Our estate lawyer team provides the experience and discretion a Hollywood career demands.