[napscoordinator]

I honestly think only wills turned into the county by a lawyer should count. If I were on this jury I couldn’t vote for some random will found after she died. She’s rich enough to do the will properly especially one from 2014.

[llevrok]

Miss Franklin was not the best at managing her finances.

About 10 years before her death, she was close to bankruptcy. Poor money management and tons of hangers on.

So not having a proper will is not a surprise.

[jacknhoo]

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

__________

The Democrats would love that kind of stance. Better the state get the estate than the family, eh.

If she bothered to write down her wishes, honor them as possible. If she wanted the state to have her estate, she could have written that but didn’t.

If the two documents are authentic, the latest date should apply.

[texas booster]

Howard Hughes Estate Settled… After 34 Years (2010)

Aretha Franklin and Howard Hughes - two siblings by a different mother!

And here's the money quote from the Howard Hughes article:

Well, in 2010, more than 34 years after Howard Hughes died, it appears that having the sole assets being real estate involved in bankruptcy was enough for the lawyers and taxing agencies to let go of the estate.

Please get a notarized (at least in Texas) piece of paper with instructions to leave all of your assets to a charity ...

[AndyJackson]

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

Read about holographic wills.

[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.