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Arguments heard in Minnesota court over Prince estate

On Behalf of | Oct 28, 2016 | Heirs & Beneficiaries |

As many of our readers know, previous posts here have been following the probate litigation surrounding the death of the rock musician Prince, a man from the Twin Cities area whose estate is now being litigated in the Minnesota state courts.

The latest development in this battle over who is entitled to an inheritance from Prince’s multi-million dollar state comes now that DNA testing has been completed. Although some claimants to the rocker’s fortune have been ruled out as biological relatives, they are still not giving up on being numbered among the estate’s heirs & beneficiaries.

At issue is the scope of the Minnesota law that governs probate proceedings when there is no will, as it appears by every indication that Prince never took the time to do any estate planning. The people who are not related to Prince biologically are arguing that they can show that they were, in effect, taken in and recognized as if they were a child of Prince’s father and, logically, are siblings to the rocker. At this point, they seek an opportunity to produce this information in court.

Other heirs, on the other hand, argue that Minnesota simply does not allow an inheritance under these circumstances, no matter how close the family might have been to these claimants. They say the law only covers situations like adoption and conception via artificial insemination, or other scientific reproductive techniques.

Even though the judge has promised a prompt ruling on the legal question before him, this probate litigation is likely far from over.

Source: Star Tribune, “Lawyers argue over who are Prince’s rightful heirs,” Emma Nelson, Oct. 21, 2016

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