The Fight Over Aretha Franklin's Handwritten Wills Takes New Turn

Gettyimages | Paul Natkin

Members of Aretha Franklin's family and their representatives remain in a nasty stalemate in a court battle to determine who will get control of The Queen of Soul's estate.

Wikimedia | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aretha_Franklin_1968.jpg

Detroit Free Press writes that an Oakland County probate court judge on Tuesday put the estate under "court supervision." The courts will now have a larger hand in Franklin's estate conflicts.

Gettyimages | Scott Olson

The judge will allow an expert in handwriting analysis to examine a series of handwritten wills found earlier this year.

It was originally thought that Franklin had not left any will, but these three documents -- two from 2010 and one from 2014 -- imply the opposite.

The 2014 will in a notebook, was found underneath a cushion in a couch. These new documents reveal she disavowed two other wills she had written years ago.

The web of wills shows Franklin did make an effort to divvy up her fortune, but it also shows she led a very private personal life.

Erich Speckin, who was hired by Franklin's son, Kecalf Franklin, has said it will take about three hours to analyze these new wills. Other family members, many of whom are in conflict with other members, may hire their own experts.

Also in court this week, it was revealed that about $350,000 has been divided among Franklin's four sons. In addition, about $178,000 was stolen from the singer before her death in August, 2018.