Georgia fans of the late film director John Singleton may be surprised to know that there may be some estate issues complicating things for the loved ones he left behind. Singleton, who died in April 2019 at the age of 51, reportedly had a will that was already prepared prior to his death. The director’s mother is in possession of this document and plans to file it.
There are reports that the “Boyz n the Hood” director’s mother handled her son’s business matters, so it’s expected that she’s the likely executor of the will. According to previous reports, Singleton has children who aren’t thrilled with his mother’s desire to be named the conservator of his assets. The director’s daughter has reportedly accused her grandmother of attempting to keep the children out of Singleton’s post-death financial matters.
Singleton’s estate planning documents will likely end up determining who gets what when it’s properly filed and verified. If the award-winning director died without a will, it’s unlikely that his mother will automatically get anything from his estate. This is because the law in Singleton’s home state of California requires assets to be divided first among any children of the deceased if there is no legal will in existence. However, it’s not known when Singleton signed the will. If there’s evidence he wasn’t in his right frame of mind or at full mental capacity when it was signed, the will may be challenged.
In order to avoid potential issues with a will, an estate administration and probate lawyer might recommend that a client routinely review estate-related documents. Taking this step also facilitates the process of making appropriate updates and adjustments. Another way to control asset division is to set up a trust.
