Renowned Singer Aretha Franklin Has Died

On August 16, 2018, CNN reported that renowned singer Aretha Franklin had passed away. She was 76 years old, and she passed away at her home in Detroit. The cause of death is reported to be cancer. Did she have a will or a proper estate plan in place? Which probate litigation or estate law firm will handle the probate process for her estate? Who will inherit from her estate?  Because Franklin did not die in Florida, her estate will probably not be handled by a Florida probate lawyer. Instead, Detroit estate attorneys will be hired to get the beneficiaries of her estate their inheritances. 

A February 8, 2017 New York Times article states that only 42% of American adults have a will. This data was taken from a survey that was published on Caring.com. According to the survey, 81 percent of people 72 and older have one.  Due to her age, is very likely that Franklin did have a proper estate plan in place.  Hopefully, Franklin consulted with a will and trust attorney when she began to earn her fortune. Who are Franklin’s heirs?  Will her heirs even inherit anything at all? To read the entire article regarding Franklin’s death, click here.