Contents
Before you start reading........

Bear in mind laws and taxes vary between different parts of the world.

Often articles and books are written for a specific audience, particularly if the issue is about financial and legal matters. Therefore what might be an appropriate approach in one country or state might not be relevant in another.

This site does not attempt to differentiate between different countries or advice - I'll leave that to the professional experts. However you may well notice some similarities as to the basic principles about how to approach estate planning
Comments below relate to when this material was on another website

Fantastically comprehensive resource on estate and legacy planning for the visual arts. Nicely compiled and some of it very up to date. Well done.
WOW! what a comprehensive resource!!!
What a great site. In-depth information on estate planning; the fact that is aimed at artists and art collectors is very interesting and a targeted area that I have not seen too readily before. Especially when investment in art is becoming more common place, it is great that this has been so informative to what might normally be quite confusing regarding asset protection. A very good read.

How to handle the disposal of art after death
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This is about the things you need to know about regarding what happens to art after the death of an artist or art collector.
  • What do you need to know and do if you are an Executor who knows nothing about art?
  • How do you minimise challenges for those who have to deal with the Estate of an Artist or Art Collector?
  • What's the best way of avoiding financial squabbles?
Too often these are issues which people find difficult and avoid dealing with - sometimes until it's far too late.
There are challenges likely to face some Executors who have little or no understanding of how the art world works.

This site highlights:
  • check-list of issues for artists to consider when planning the disposal of their estates
  • check-list of issues for art collectors to get to grips with prior to death
  • some of the difficulties which the estates of famous artists have experienced due to mistakes, omissions and poor estate planning
  • links to what seem to be useful sources of helpful information and advice
The Artist Estate:
A Handbook for Artists, Executors, and Heirs
by Loretta Wurtenberger

RATED:
  • 5 stars by 3 customer reviews (UK)
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars by 4 customer reviews (USA)
This handbook covers
  • options for legal frameworks
  • appropriate financing models,
  • proper handling of the market, museums, and academia.
The author explains different alternatives for managing and maintaining an artist’s estate. It includes recommendations on how to handle artwork, archives, and mementos following the death of an artist

The author has a business which has advised on the setting up and execution of artists estates for many years - with a bias towards Germany.
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
Published: August 2016
Image: The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain - designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. It was developed by The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and his long-time art advisor, artist Hilla von Rebay. 
Disclaimer: I'm not a professionally qualified expert in this area. However everybody has to start somewhere and the aim of this website is to get you thinking about the right questions to think about and ask if and when you need to get professional advice. The links contained on this website are those which could be found by anybody doing extensive research on the Internet. This is your shortcut to the hours it took me to put this site together!