Aretha Franklin’s Handwritten Wills to Be Adjudicated in Trial

Aretha Franklin's Handwritten Wills to Be Adjudicated in Trial

The final wishes of singing star Aretha Franklin will be determined in a trial starting next Monday. The trial will decide which of two handwritten wills will be honored.

Franklin, a music superstar known for hits like “Respect” and “Think,” had four sons but never created a formal, typewritten will. The two handwritten wills were found in her suburban Detroit home months after her death in 2018 at age 76.

One will, dated 2010, lists son Ted White II and a niece, Sabrina Owens, as co-executors. It also says that Franklin’s other two sons, Kecalf and Edward Franklin, must take business classes and get a certificate or a degree in order to benefit from the estate.

The other will, dated 2014, crosses out White’s name as executor and names Kecalf Franklin as executor instead. It also says that Kecalf Franklin and his grandchildren will receive Franklin’s main home in Bloomfield Hills, which was valued at $1.1 million when she died but is worth much more today.

Michigan law states that a handwritten will is valid if it is in the deceased’s handwriting, is dated, and is signed. The trial will determine which of the two wills meets these requirements and will therefore be honored.

The trial is expected to last several weeks. The outcome could have a significant impact on the distribution of Franklin’s estate, which is estimated to be worth millions of dollars.

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