Amid continuing rumors that Prince actually left behind a will — and that the will might be located in another country — the estate is moving forward with administrative processes. The administrator of the trust currently holding the Prince estate has proposed a process to identify possible heirs to the pop star’s fortune.
According to reports, the trustee first obtained some DNA samples from the medical examiner. Those samples are meant to be used to validate claims from people who say they are a genetic heir to Prince. Before anyone is tested, though, the trustee wants the court to require that potential heirs file an affidavit.
The affidavit would be used to disclose the facts by which the person is relying on to assume they might be an heir to Prince. The affidavit process might weed out some of the wilder claims that could come about because of the size of Prince’s fortune.
After the affidavit is filed, the trustee or someone else will review the information and follow through with genetic testing on likely candidates. But the trustee doesn’t want Prince’s estate footing the bill for all this testing — he has asked the court to require potential heirs to pay for their own tests. Perhaps he believes the monetary barrier will cut down on claims from people who probably aren’t genetically related to the musician.
While most people won’t deal with these levels of assets and publicity during estate administration, many people do have to deal with the search for potential heirs before an estate can be fully probated. Working with a legal professional during such a process can help you expedite the search and avoid making decisions that could seriously impact the future of known heirs.
Source: The Wrap, “Estate administrator wants claimants to shell out to prove they’re related to Prince,” Tim Kenneally, May 16, 2016
