Famous Probate Law Cases

Tom Carvel was the inventor of soft serve ice cream and the creator of one of the first franchises in the United States. When Carvel died in 1990, a massive legal battle ensued. With 850 franchises throughout America, the Carvel estate was worth nearly $80 million. In this case, fighting began because Carvel and his wife, Agnes, had left a will placing their money in trust that would donate to charities and provide an income for surviving members of the family. However, these trusts were placed under the control of two long time employees of the company. Disagreements between the Carvel’s family and the employees who controlled the trust began a legal case that continues to this day.

Only 27 years old, Jimi Hendrix died without a will, launching a series of lawsuits over royalty and likeness rights with recording studios, record companies and the Hendrix family. For twenty years after his death, the Jimi Hendrix estate was quietly managed by an attorney. In 1990, Al Hendrix, father of Jimi Hendrix, sued for control of the estate. After winning the case in 1995, Al created a series of arrangements that kept Jimi Hendrix alive in popular culture. But after his death in 2002 the estate was embroiled in legal controversy. Al left almost all of his $80m estate to his adopted daughter, prompting Leon Hendrix, Jimi’s brother, to sue. The lawsuit ended with an uncertain verdict that Janie Hendrix was simply “the family member Al trusted the most” due to Leon’s spotty history.

The estate of Ike Turner, another music star, was also entrenched in a difficult legal battle. Turner died in December 2007 and, like many complicated probate cases, the problem was whether or not he had a will. Turner’s six children all claim that the rock star died without a will. One ex wife claimed that he had left a handwritten will leaving everything to her, though this was written after the marriage had ended. Things became even more complicated when the Turner children produced a handwritten note that appeared to revoke the first will, written just one month later. Turner’s former attorney also possessed another handwritten will, which named him the executor of the estate. In the end, the North Carolina judge in charge of the trial tentatively found in favor of Turner’s adult children in November 2009. At the heart of the battle for the Turner estate was the royalty rights to the star’s catalog of nearly 4,000 songs, including those made with former wife Tina Turner.

Peter Wendt is a writer and researcher living in Austin, Texas. He recommends you check out Estate Planning Lawyer Austin and Austin Wills Lawyer.