News broke earlier this week that the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, had wills written out that were found between her couch cushions. What these wills represent are something called holographic wills. A holographic will is a will, but it ignores some of the formalities that go into putting together a will. Such formalities include it being typed or handwritten with witnesses around, as well as a signature and date. Earlier this year, we took a look at late television actor Kristoff St. John’s holographic will and dived into how something such as that can create a period of scrutiny.

Darren Findling discusses what a holographic will is, how the situation involving Aretha Franklin would play out if these documents are brought to the probate court and offers some advice.

Aretha Franklin more than likely had an attorney, but the three individual holographic wills should raise some eyebrows. It seems like Aretha had been planning for her passing, but with the initial news that there was no will, one can only wonder what happened. With that said, this new development does show the importance in planning for the future. The Probate ProSM can work with you to plan your future.

The Probate ProSM practices and provides probate related legal services and has been for 25 years. If you or someone you know are in need of a will being written or need to plan for the future, give us a call today. Our attorneys and support staff are ready to help you during this time. Call us today at 1-(877)-YOUR-FIRM.