Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who passed away last month after suffering from pancreatic cancer, did not leave a will.
It is estimated that Franklin’s estate is worth tens of millions, with some reports putting the amount at $108m.
“I tried to convince her that she should do not just a will but a trust while she was still alive,” Don Wilson, a Los Angeles lawyer who worked for Franklin for nearly 30 years, told media.
“She never told me, ‘No, I don’t want to do one.’ She understood the need. It just didn’t seem to be something she got around to,” he added.
Reports now suggest that Aretha’s fortune will be split equally between her four sons, and possibly her long-term lover Willie Wilkerson.
Under Michigan law, the sons will equally divide their mother’s assets in the absence of a will, and so far no signs of conflict have emerged among family members.
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