Legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin is in a heated legal battle with two of his children and his former business manager. His children are claiming that he has dementia and is burning through his assets at an alarming rate. He is also suing his business manager for “unlawful enrichment” and fraud. Recently, his lawyer quit stating irreconcilable differences.
Buzz’s Claims
The former astronaut has laid out some pretty damning claims. Regarding his children, Buzz claims:
- Two of his children prevented him from marrying recently.
- They transferred money from his accounts without his permission and against his wishes.
- His children slandered him by stating that he has dementia.
- He wants to remove his son, Andrew, as trustee of his estate.
- One of his children or his former business manager used his social media accounts to make false statements.
- Despite revoking the power of attorney from his oldest son, the son kept making decisions for him.
The Defendant’s Claims
Buzz Aldrin’s children have claims of their own. They have made it a point to let people know that they are only trying to protect their potentially ailing father. They are stating that:
- Their father is confused and unable to make impactful decisions for himself and his estate.
- He is being taken advantage of by new associates and friends who are trying to distance him from his family.
- He suffering from delusions, paranoia, and memory loss.
So, Is Buzz Suffering from Dementia?
A geriatric psychologist at UCLA conducted an evaluation and concluded that Aldrin had “superior to normal” cognitive ability for his age. He went on to state, “I also believe that he is perfectly capable of providing for his physical health needs, food, clothing and shelter, and is substantially able to manage his finances and resist fraud and undue influence.” It should be noted that Buzz sought out this psychologist and no evaluation has been completed by a court appointed independent party.
The best way to avoid a nasty estate battle is to have a concrete will and testament. Make sure your loved ones know what you want in your later years. If you need a will created by a skilled professional, contact Elias Dsouza at Dsouza Legal Group. Elias has been helping individuals protect their assets for over 15 years.