IT HAS become a showbiz phenomenon – celebrities gaining posthumous popularity- and the story of the talented ex-child star Gary Coleman is one of those I could notably ferret out.
The story about Coleman’s estate has been a hotly-discussed issue in and out of Hollywood the last 4 weeks since his untimely demise. There, apparently, were three claims that have surfaced, claiming the administration and distribution of his estate.
Dion Mial, Coleman’s former manager and friend, was named as Executor of a 1999 Last Will and Testament. In 2005, however, another Will named an ex-girlfriend, Anna Gray, as Executor. Coleman’s ex-wife, Shannon Price, claims that a handwritten 2007 note makes her the Executor of the estate. "I made this change of free will and was not coerced in any way," says the note dated Sept. 4, 2007, less than a month after Coleman and Price married. "This I have done because of my personal selfishness and my weakness and I love her with all my heart."
What has gone wrong here? Shouldn’t the Last Will, which happened to be holographic, be considered the legally binding Will?
Some states recognize Holographic Wills. These are handwritten, unwitnessed Wills, signed only by the Will maker. However, legal representatives hit upon ambiguities as to the validity of Coleman’s holographic will.
Legal sources and analysts predict that the battle over the Coleman estate could take a while before the estate is sorted out, even if the former manager has conceded any right to the estate’s administration; leaving the ex-wife and the ex-girlfriend fighting for what might turn out a multi-million dollar estate, garnered through posthumous book deals, pensions, and residuals.
This saga leaves us one good lesson to learn: legal experts say you need to "destroy" your old will. If in doubt, tear it into pieces or burn it. Even though all Wills technically "revoke" all your prior wills, you should not rely on this language alone to revoke them.
NOTE: Evangeline is not an attorney nor does she provide legal advice. She can, however, provide legal information taken from legal sources, to assist clients make informed decisions to represent themselves (in pro per). She is a Legal Document Assistant (LDA # 397, registered and bonded in Los Angeles County, expires 3/23/2011) and prepares legal documents only at the specific direction of the client.
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( Published June 26, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. C3 )
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