Joan Rivers' will made public

The late Joan Rivers made us laugh. But to the late comedienne, her estate plan was no laughing matter. Rivers' will, filed December 9 in New York State Surrogate Court, shows great concern for the people she cared most about, and leaves nothing to chance. Rivers died in September at age 81 following throat surgery. 

Some of the major points: As expected, Rivers' only child, Melissa, inherits the bulk of the estate, estimated at about $150 million. Rivers also provided for her only grandchild, her niece and nephew, and her longtime assistants. She didn't forget her beloved dogs, either - she had two in New York and two in Los Angeles. Her favorite charities will also get a piece of the estate, among them the Jewish Guild for the Blind, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Rivers named her good friends, business manager Michael Karlin and interior designer Robert Higdon, to assist her daughter to administer the estate.

Rivers' will is a matter of public record and you can read it below. Her trust which is a private document specifies precisely who gets what and is shielded from public view.

Joan Rivers: Life turns on a dime sometimes

I saw Joan Rivers perform at Florida Atlantic University about 30 years ago. Whether you love or loathe the comedienne, it's undeniable she exuded incredible energy. She maintained a full schedule right up until her cardiac arrest a few days ago, turning in a Broadway performance the night before her throat surgery. The operation was an out-patient procedure - nothing to be concerned about for the otherwise  healthy 81-year-old.

These kinds of events remind us that sometimes, life turns on a dime. We can't dwell on them; we would drive ourselves crazy if we do. Better to live our lives with confidence, anticipating the best. And the best way to do that: prepare ourselves and our families for that turn-on-a-dime event. If you want to be truly free from unnecessary worry, you have to know you're prepared for whatever life throws your way.

My own family faced a similar, unexpected health crisis one year ago Sept. 5. My 76-year-old brother-in-law fell and hit his head on the sidewalk after exiting a restaurant, apparently because of aortic stenosis. While awaiting cardiac surgery to repair the valve, he sustained a brain aneurysm, had a stroke, and remained on life support for days, until we consented to disconnect life support. He was a gifted classical pianist who on the day of his fall, was practicing for a particularly challenging performance. The unveiling of his gravestone will be at a cemetery in New York State at the end of this month. 

Back to Rivers: The press releases say that her family will soon consider removing her from the breathing apparatus. I do not know for sure, but I suspect her daughter Melissa, who has become something of a Dean Martin to Rivers' Jerry Lewis in recent years, may be the decision-maker. I hope for her sake that her mother had a living will and other health care documents in place to guide her daughter's decision and spare her any more agony than she is already experiencing.  My brother-in-law's written wishes were certainly a help to my family.

Wishing peace to Rivers' family, and to the thousands of families each day who find that their lives have turned on a dime.