Varnum LLP
November 18th, 2025
Incorporating intellectual property (IP) management into your estate plan ensures your creative legacy is protected.
For professionals who create or own intellectual property (IP), including inventors, artists, developers, athletes, or entrepreneurs, estate planning takes on added importance and complexity. Intellectual property can be a person’s most valuable asset, yet it is often overlooked or poorly documented in estate plans.
Traditional estate plans typically include a will, financial and medical powers of attorney, and often one or more trusts. However, owners of IP assets face additional considerations.
Intellectual property assets, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, often have legal protections or restrictions and may generate ongoing income through royalties. Additionally, most forms of IP require continuing maintenance that must be timely satisfied. Without careful planning, IP rights may become difficult to transfer, become the subject of disputes, lose value, or even be abandoned entirely.
