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Celebrity Estates

Celebrity Estates: Aretha Franklin's Messy Estate

The tumultuous estate of R&B singer Aretha Franklin highlights the need for good communication.

 

In this episode, David Lenok, senior editor at WealthManagement.com, is joined by Alex Weingarten, partner at Venable LLP, where he is a commercial trial lawyer who represents clients in all facets of entertainment, probate and business litigation.

Today’s celebrity example is Aretha Franklin; we discussed her estate in Episode 8 and at that time it was believed that she had left no will, therefore leaving her estate to be divided equally among her children. Since then, new developments have surfaced. While cleaning out Franklin’s home, they found four separate wills, three handwritten and one typed but not signed.   

Now the battle ensues. Brother fighting brother trying to determine how the estate will be divided. Litigators have been contacted to solve this puzzle. The trial begins in August.

Today, Alex and David discuss why communication is key to your happily ever after.

You will learn:

  • Alex’s thoughts on how this situation will play out in court;
  • How good communication helps keep the peace;
  • What estate litigation really looks like;
  • And more!

Tune in to help your clients understand the importance of communicating your intentions verbally as well as in written form to keep your estate and your family intact long after you are gone.

Listen to the podcast

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The Celebrity Estates: Wills of the Rich and Famous podcast is available on Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher and wherever podcasts are found. 

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