Diane Keaton charmed generations with unforgettable roles and a signature sense of style. She also lived as a proud single mother of two, adopting her daughter Dexter and son Duke in her 50s. Keaton passed away at 79 on October 11, 2025. As tributes continue, her public life offers clear takeaways for families who want a well-run plan that protects the people and property they care about.

Keaton never married, and she raised her two children on her own. That family structure makes planning choices like guardianship nominations, trustee selection, and beneficiary designations especially important for anyone in a similar position.

Beyond film, Keaton developed a serious second act in real estate. She bought, renovated, and sold architecturally significant homes in California and Arizona, and even wrote about design. A portfolio like that raises unique planning questions about titling, privacy, and how to pass multiple properties without sending your family through courts in more than one state.

In early 2025, Keaton listed her Brentwood “dream home,” widely reported at $29 million. Property reporters noted the home was held in a trust using her legal name, which is a common privacy and probate-avoidance strategy for public figures and anyone with multiple properties. Specific terms of her estate have not been made public, but the structure highlighted in public records and reporting points to a familiar set of tools used by many high-profile families.

• • Single parents need written authority for both life and death events
  If you are parenting solo, your plan should name who handles money for your children, who cares for them if they are minors, and who can make medical and financial decisions for you during an illness. That usually means a will with guardian nominations, a revocable living trust, a durable power of attorney, and a health care directive with HIPAA releases.

   

  • Use a revocable living trust to keep things private and efficient
  A revocable living trust lets you manage assets while alive and directs a successor trustee to step in if you die or become incapacitated. Trusts avoid the public probate court process and can reduce delays and costs. This is especially valuable for public figures and families who value privacy.

   

  • Own property in more than one state
  If you hold real estate in multiple states, your heirs may otherwise face more than one probate. Titling those properties in your trust is a well-established way to avoid ancillary probate and keep one unified administration.
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• • Coordinate beneficiary designations and titling
  Retirement accounts, life insurance, transfer-on-death accounts, and LLCs must match your plan. If the trust is meant to receive assets for management or creditor protection, beneficiary forms and deeds should say so. Otherwise, assets can bypass the plan you intended. (General best practice supported by estate-planning authorities; confirm with counsel in your state.)

   

• • Be intentional with intellectual property and publicity rights
  Artists and authors often hold copyrights, book royalties, likeness rights, and brand partnerships. Keaton’s memoirs and design work highlight how creative income can outlive the creator. Your plan should name who manages those rights and how to distribute ongoing royalties. 
  
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Here is a simple checklist you can use to turn these lessons into action:

•Create or update a will and revocable living trust. Name a backup trustee and executor who can work well together.
• If you have minor children, name guardians and at least one alternate. Separate the person who raises your children from the person who manages their inheritance if that fits your family better.
• Retitle real estate and key accounts to your trust. For multistate property, this helps avoid a second court process. Keep a current schedule of trust assets.
• Update beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance so they align with your trust and tax goals.
• Sign a durable financial power of attorney, a health care surrogate designation, and HIPAA releases so someone you trust can act during a medical event.
• Write clear instructions for personal items with sentimental value. A simple memorandum that your trust or will references can prevent conflict.
• Organize documents and passwords. Give your fiduciaries a secure way to find your records. Include instructions for social media and creative or licensing income.
• Review taxes at a high level. For deaths in 2025, the federal estate tax exclusion is $13.99 million per person. Many families owe no federal estate tax, but planning still matters for privacy, speed, and family harmony. Florida has no state estate or inheritance tax, which is good news for our clients here.
• Revisit your plan after major life events or at least every three years. Marriage, divorce, a home purchase, a business sale, or a new grandchild can all require updates.

Diane Keaton showed how a full life can include both art and assets. Her role as a single mother, her love of architecture, and her varied creative work remind us that a plan is not only about taxes. It is about clarity, privacy, and care for the people and projects you love. If your family is growing, if you own property in more than one state, or if you want your legacy handled with discretion, now is the time to get your documents in order.

Our firm helps Florida families build practical, court-ready plans. Schedule a confidential Strategy Call to review your will, revocable trust, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations. We can also help you retitle multistate property, align your retirement accounts, and create trustee instructions that fit your values and goals.