Aretha Franklin may have lived a very private life, but unfortunately all of her financial business is about to be made public. The Queen of soul hasn’t even been gone a full week and already the financial battle is reportedly underway. While this isn’t uncommon, considering Aretha Franklin’s celebrity status, most of the legal battles are often diffused with the enforcement of a Last Will and Testament. But unfortunately, that’s not the case where Aretha is concerned, because reports have revealed there is no will. Now, Aretha’s entire estate is up for grabs and you can probably guess how her family is dealing with the situation.
Ready For War:
According to the Detroit Free Press, reports have confirmed that the Queen of Soul did not have a will, nor trust fund established for the distribution of her wealth in wake of her death. A new statement has been released by Aretha’s long-time attorney Don Wilson. For those who don’t know, the Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney has been representing Aretha for more than three decades, but despite their longstanding relationship, establishing a will was something Aretha never got around to, despite him asking her to do so repeatedly:
“I was after her for a number of years to do a trust,” Wilson told the publication. “It would have expedited things and kept them out of probate and kept things private.”
Wilson is reportedly Aretha’s copyright attorney, focusing on things like her song publishing and record deals, but he will likely be involved in the estate battle because he does handle a big part of her assets. He’s admitted he doesn’t have an exact dollar amount for the singer’s assets, but in the near future, things could get very ugly. Due to the lack of a will, all of the singer’s personal and financial information will be made public through the Oakland County Probate Court. Based on Wilson’s take, it’s almost guaranteed that there will be a battle:
“I just hope (Franklin’s estate) doesn’t end up getting so hotly contested,” Wilson said. “Any time they don’t leave a trust or will, there always ends up being a fight.”
However, the non-existent will isn’t enough for the Franklin fam’ to just let the massive fortune dwindle away. Reports have revealed that multiple family members are already making legal moves, in hopes of claiming portions of the estate before everything goes haywire. It has been reported that her niece has stepped up to the plate and requested that the court appoint her as the representative of her aunt’s estate. But she isn’t the only one showing interest in the massive estate. The singer’s four sons have also filed paperwork in court.
Four Sons and No Will:
According to CNN, all four of the singer’s sons have filed documents in court. Based on Michigan law, Aretha’s estate should legally be divided equally amongst her sons. “The decedent [Franklin] died intestate and after exercising reasonable diligence, I am unaware of any unrevoked testamentary instrument relating to property located in this state as defined,” the document stated. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a legal battle. Since there is no will, details about the estate, reportedly valued at more than $80 million, will become public. So, extended family members will likely be next in line to make attempts at staking claims in the estate. Unfortunately, the entire battle will likely take an extended period of time, which means the singer’s son with special needs may be facing financial hardships until everything is resolved.
Hopefully, the Franklin family can resolve the issues in a timely fashion.
