What are the consequences of having an unclear, challengeable, or otherwise problematic estate plan? Or of having no estate plan? Here are some examples of what has happened to the estates of some celebrities… You won’t believe
they still haven’t been settled yet; in one case, for more than fifteen years! Not only do these problems delay asset distribution, but the legal fees tied to ongoing disputes can be enormous.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
You might remember him as the actor who played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. He died in July 2025 with a 30-year-old trust, a 9-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old marriage. No surprise that his widow filed for a share of
the estate as an omitted spouse, plus a share for their daughter as an omitted child. His widow also filed a breach of contract claim, saying he made lots of promises to her in their prenuptial, such as taking out a life insurance policy with her as the beneficiary
and other claims. Malcolm Jamal’s mom, the named trustee, is working on a settlement for her granddaughter, but his widow’s claims are still in dispute. The lesson here is clear: maintaining an up-to-date estate plan helps ensure your loved ones are protected
as you wish. Oh, and another reminder: none of us know what tomorrow will bring. His cause of death was accidental drowning; obviously unexpected.
Chadwick Boseman
Many were shocked and saddened by Mr. Boseman’s passing in 2022. It was revealed after his death that he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2016.
He kept that a secret from the world, having multiple surgeries and chemo treatments even while filming movies such as Black Panther. However, the disease progressed despite it all. Mr. Boseman must have believed he would be victorious over the cancer because
he never made a will or trust. So after his death, the probate court ordered his estate to be fully distributed as they saw fit. But here it is in 2026, and his siblings are petitioning the court on behalf of his parents for full distribution, removal of his
widow as administrator, and a full accounting of everything she has done with the funds. It doesn’t appear this will be settled anytime soon. The widow claimed back in July of 2026 that their claims were nothing but a “baseless attack” and said she had already
distributed nearly all the assets aside from a remaining IRA portion. The obvious lesson here is, whether you know your end is near or not, for your loved ones’ sake, have a will. And a trust if appropriate. It is the right thing to do. And secondly, when
a court directs the administrator to distribute the assets, it really is best to do so quickly.
Dolly Parton
I was surprised to learn that there is an issue with Dolly Parton’s estate. I am sure you are too. Dolly did a great job managing her estate and planning for the future, but she didn’t count on what happened after she died.
Dolly’s nephew, her longtime head of security, was fired by Parton’s estate management company (She’s Alive LLC) shortly after her death. Her longtime manager filed a lawsuit against the nephew, obtained a restraining order, and accused the nephew of making
threats and extortion claims. Of course, the nephew denies it all, claiming that his statements were taken out of context, related to an “inside joke,” or stemmed from grief and anger over past disputes. It remains to be seen how long this will take to play
out; court hearings were scheduled for October-November 2026, but the details likely won’t be made public. In this case, the lesson might be to be careful what you put in writing if it can be misconstrued in any way.
Michael Jackson
And finally, the award for “how long probate can drag on” is Mr. Jackson’s estate. It is still, yes, still not settled. He died in 2009. The latest word is that his daughter is petitioning the probate court, claiming the executors
are not managing the estate properly and that their compensation and expenses are excessive. So far, the court agreed to at least the second claim and ordered the “bonus compensation” of $625,000 paid to outside counsel be returned to the estate. The IRS still
has unresolved issues regarding the value of his likeness, etc. Other issues are still pending as well. The consequence of all this, beyond the legal fees, is that the estate’s assets cannot be distributed until everything is settled. What a hot mess! While
the majority of us will not have to worry about our estate presenting so many challenges, it does make one think about being extremely thoughtful about how our decisions might be viewed later and whether they will be challenged after we’re gone. My recommendation
is to think everything through carefully, hope for the best, but in some ways, expect the worst.
If your estate plan needs updating, or if you don’t have one, let’s get together soon. I’ll help ensure the plan meets your needs and wishes and protects your
assets and your loved ones alike. And you’ll have peace of mind that you have not left your heirs an expensive, complicated mess to deal with after you’re gone. Please call me at
www.davidlefton.com
or visit my website www.davidlefton.com
for more information.