Tinsel town has been abuzz since the murder of well-known and much loved publicist Ronni Chasen last month. She was gunned down as she was driving home down Sunset Boulevard. Investigations into her murder have now turned up a twist that’s very interesting to California estate planning lawyers - the revelation that the powerful and highly successful publicist had left behind an estate worth millions of dollars, and, possibly, no will.

An older will that has been found names several charities that stand to receive tens of thousands of dollars from the estate, as well as Chasen’s children and assorted relatives. According to copies of the will, the value is $6.1 million, and it was drafted in 1994. In it, the publicist left her memorabilia to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with a provision regarding credit. She also left tens of thousands of dollars to some of her favorite charities including the Make a Wish Foundation and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. She then left the rest of her estate to her mother. However, her mother has since died. Because the mother is no longer alive, her niece Melissa Cohen gets a substantial amount from the estate.

However, that's not the end of it. According to supporting documents, Chasen prepared another will, probably in 2006. This last will cannot be located. According to the publicist's brother who has applied to be the special administrator of the estate, the will is likely in a safe deposit box. Beverly Hills police have not yet admitted if the contents of the will are likely to define their investigation going forward.

A study conducted a few years ago found that parents of minor children were even less likely than others to have drafted a will or any other estate papers. This is truly scary when you consider that this is one category of people for who estate planning is not just necessary, but an absolute must.

Part of the estate planning process for parents of minors is deciding on guardianship issues. This can be one of the trickiest issues for parents. If the parents are still married, it can be lead to a tug-of-war between both parents. It's normal to want someone from your side of the family appointed as guardian to your children when you're no longer around.

However, it’s very important to approach guardianship issues with an open mind. Make a list of all the positive attributes that you would like the guardian of your children to have, and look for these qualities. Be prepared to compromise. The kind of guardian you are looking for may not necessarily be someone from your side of the family.

In the case of single parents, the children may be automatically transferred to the surviving parent, no matter what has been specified in the will. However, you must speak with a California estate planning attorney about your options.

It also helps if you lower your expectations for a guardian. Often, estate planning lawyers find that the choice of guardianship is a tricky one, because parents have a picture of a perfect guardian in their minds. What should be important is that the person has the means to raise your child, and will be able to raise your child with the kind of values that you hold dear. Perfect parents don't exist, and neither does the perfect guardian.