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Estate Planning by Sitcom: Lessons from Fisk on Lawyer Ethics and Inheritance By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi November 28, 2025 Season Three, Episode Two of Fisk jumps right into the depths of estate plan with Helen rapid-fire questioning a woman who has come in to change her will: Helen: Did your husband die? Client: No. Helen: Is your husband dying? Client: No. Helen: Lost capacity? Client: No. Helen: Making bad choices? Client: No Helen: Are you planning to leave your husband? Client: No Helen: Is your husband planning to leave you? Client: No.  You are obsessed with my husband!!! Helen: No, I am trying to establish why you want to re-do your will. Client: Stefan thought it would be a good idea! Helen: Stefan is your husband? Client: No. He’s my financial advisor. Helen: Ohhhhhhhh And there you have a perfect example of clients responding to the nudges and encouragement people in their inner circle offer when it comes to estate planning.  Unfortunately, in this episode the fin...

Hypothetically Speaking: IOUs, Lawnmowers, and Professional Boundaries in Fisk, Season 3 By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi November 21, 2025 Six Fridays remain in 2025!  We’ll close out the year here on Navigator with a weekly post about the lessons learned from the Australian comedy Fisk.  Entering its third season, the show puts a hysterical spin on the issues related to practicing estate planning and probate law.  While the show is set in Melbourne, Australia – with its own set of laws – it provides great fodder for exploring the law that affects us all. In Season 3 Helen is finally a partner in the small law office of Gruber & Fisk.  Partnership may allow her to install a barista-grade coffee machine in the breakroom, but it also means she needs to start bringing in clients.  Fans of the show know that Helen’s communication style may make this new job function quite challenging.  She is blunt, quirky and prone to interrogation.   Quickly Helen ...

Upset With the World? The Middle Class Philanthropist Has Your Answer on National Philanthropy Day By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi November 14, 2025 November 15th marks National Philanthropy Day , a time when we celebrate the incredible generosity that fuels countless charitable missions across the globe. President Ronald Reagan officially proclaimed the first National Philanthropy Day on November 15, 1986, with the signing of Proclamation 5571. The proclamation followed a joint resolution passed by Congress and was intended to recognize the enormous achievements of the millions of Americans engaged in charitable giving and volunteerism. Reagan emphasized the literal meaning of philanthropy—"affection for mankind"—and celebrated the American tradition of voluntarism as one of the country's greatest strengths. As our nation prepares to celebrate another National Philanthropy Day this weekend, it is impossible not to acknowledge a deep sense of frustration many of people feel ...

Stop the Fights Before They Start: Planning for 7 Sentimental Thanksgiving Heirlooms By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi November 7, 2025 November winds will blow in cold weather this weekend; flurries are possible here in Madison on Sunday. As the temperatures drop, my attention at home has turned to mapping out plans for our family’s Thanksgiving holiday. The big day will be here in a blink of an eye.  For those of us who put thought, care and planning into this annual meal, I encourage you to build in some extra time to think about the bigger Thanksgiving picture. While large financial assets are covered in a will or trust, small tangible personal property—like holiday heirlooms—often goes unaddressed. These items, despite low monetary value, often cause the most intense family disputes.  Grief can surface in unpredictable ways, do your best to prevent family fights over your tangible possessions and make a plan for the long run.  Specifically consider the following items tha...