Aretha Franklin's Will Found in Couch
Written by Maggie Wood for The Rolon Law Firm
In 2018, the legendary musical artist Aretha Franklin died with no apparent will; this left her family in disarray with regard to the division of her estate. Recent news, however, revealed that two wills were discovered at Franklin's home in Detroit, Michigan. A 2010 will, found in a locked cabinet divided assets among her children, but favored one of her sons. Another will - this one handwritten in 2014 - was found in the singer's couch cushions. The latter will favored a different son. Neither will was prepared by a lawyer. This created a fight within the family as to which will was Franklin's final, valid will, pitting one brother against another.
Like Texas law, Michigan law recognizes “holographic” (handwritten) wills if they meet certain requirements. After much deliberation, a jury determined that the 2014 will was a valid holographic will because it was entirely written and signed in Franklin’s handwriting. Now, with the correct will in place, her wishes regarding asset distribution are more clear. However, some aspects of the 2014 will remain vague and could still be the subject of additional court disputes.
In the end, Franklin made some crucial mistakes when preparing and safeguarding her final will. It is important to get your estate in order and have clear instructions in place to prevent family disputes. A lawyer should be utilized to draft these important documents and copies of old wills should be destroyed. While it can be challenging to decide how to divide your estate, a reputable estate planning law firm can make this task much easier.
Take a lesson from the Queen of Soul and make your estate plan a priority!