Jury to decide if note found in Aretha Franklin’s couch cushions is legal will for estimated $80M estate

NY Post ^ | 07/10/2023 | Priscilla DeGregory

[AndyJackson]

I honestly think only wills turned into the county by a lawyer should count.

Read about holographic wills.

[RetiredTexasVet]

White House got you beat ... found a bag of coke.

[Responsibility2nd]

Well, if the White House keeps looking in enough couch cushions, they may find a drunk stripper stashed away someplace as well as state secrets Hunter has shared with the Chinese.

[sphinx]

You’re getting it backwards. You come up with the $80 million. The note will magically appear.

[Palio di Siena]

Y’all need to go see Rev Cleophus

[Fledermaus]

Melvin Dumar

[Brian Griffin]

In Florida a valid will must be signed by the testor and witnessed by three people.

To be a self-proved will one of those three must be a notary.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Your deep concern is noted and placed on one side of the scale. A thousand years of law is dropped on the other.

And there it goes!

Hope you were not attached to your deep concern cause that sucker just hit Jupiter.

[FateAmenableToChange]

Holographic wills have a long pedigree. Why should someone on their deathbed require the state’s approval for their final disposition of their estate? As I understand it, the validity of holographic wills (handwritten or “holographic”) is a function of the fact that the last thing on many people’s minds when they’re redoing their will (esp. if they’re dying) is “hey, I should get two witnesses, a notary, and get this filed with the state.” Cases like this one are not really interesting for even law school exam purposes — if the 2014 will is written in Aretha’s handwriting, it controls over the 2010 will. More interesting questions are what if the 2014 will is discovered after the 2010 will is fully probated, but it’s ultimately a case that’s just about proving the validity and date of the documents.

[Mr. Lucky]

The estate would not pass to the state in any event. If neither will is valid, the estate passes by intestate succession to the next of kin.

[rolling_stone]

two witnesses, to be self proved must be notarized, I believe notarization has more requirements than just witnessing by a notary.

[Sacajaweau]

This is Michigan...does not have to be notarized...We really don't know all the exact writings in the will.

I think what it amounts to is using the proposed executor or the Court appointing an administrator and the distribution according to the laws of the state. Except it looks like it's equally among the children which would be the same thing.