Probate
solicitation has always traditionally been a private affair. A time for
families to deal with the last physical remnants of their dearly deceased, such
as property and wealth. It can also be very difficult for remaining family
members, as legal probate can be contested or drawn out for years, leading to
delays in the execution of a person’s will.
In the
cases where no will is left behind, it can be even more difficult for family
and friends, especially if the estate is sizeable. Most recently, rock star
Prince passed away and, as has been revealed in the ongoing court probate, he
failed to leave any last will and testament on how his $300 million estate
should be dispersed. To make matters more difficult, both of Prince’s parents
had died and his only child died in infancy.
The
process of probation has always been most widely publicised when dealing with
the unexpected death of a celebrity. The rapid reporting of social media and 24
hour celebrity news via TMZ has made valuable estates, and the legal mess left
behind from an unexpected death, of public interest. Michael Jackson’s lengthy
probate comes to mind, which was confronted with a myriad of problems that were
constantly reported on in the news. The biggest draw was the conflict between
various parties, including Jackson’s family, businesses partners, and sponsors,
divided between probate solicitors in Surrey (where he had invested in property) and America, making the
process much more complex.
Considering
the fascination many people have with the lives of celebrities, it comes as no
surprise that the process of probate would also be of
interest to them. The process of transferring an estate is already difficult,
even if a will eventually emerges, but under public scrutiny it can be even
worse. In the case of Prince, it has already been revealed that almost every
detail of the trial will be made public, in order to for the court to properly
investigate a claim made by the late singer’s half-siblings.
Even
if a will is left, the untimely death of a prominent person can still cause
unexpected problems. After Jim Morrison’s death at age 27, a will was found
which had been drawn up two years prior. However, it was described at legally
inadequate, likely written by Morrison with no legal counsel. To make matters
even more complicated, it named then girlfriend Pamela Coulson as the sole
heir, who died 3 years later of a drug overdose leading to further legal
action. This was back in 1971, when the 24 hour internet celebrity news cycle
didn’t exist, yet it embodied the kind of legal process that could be of
interest to audiences today.
Legal
proceedings involving celebrities, especially probate, will continue to be a big part
of the celebrity news cycle. From the trial of OJ Simpson, which is considered
to be the most widely publicised in the world, all the way to Pharrell Williams providing
disposition in defence of copying Marvin Gaye’s work. Here in the UK, laws on
filming in court have recently changed, meaning the cycle could grow bigger and
stronger domestically. The closest thing we've had here is the Leveson Inquiry, which was
subject to massive coverage in the news, except from News International of
course.
Overall,
we can’t be surprised that people take a huge interest in the personal lives of
celebrities, or are even interested in the morbid or sad details of a last will
and testament. This will continue to be in public interest; the only thing that
will change is how and where people consume this information.
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