Regardless of net worth or status, we could all learn something from stories of celebrity deaths to ensure we’ve planned for all aspects of our lives and made things easier for our families. Let’s look at four examples:

Prince – he taught us the importance of actually preparing a Will. When Prince passed away in 2016, it was soon announced that he did not have a Will. After months of courtroom battles with dozens of self-proclaimed heirs, it was confirmed that Prince’s sister and half-siblings were the only rightful heirs to his estate. A Will would have avoided most of this confusion.

Paul Walker – his death showed us the benefit of early planning. At the age of 28, soon after the birth of his daughter, he prepared a straightforward Will that transferred his entire estate to his daughter. Unfortunately, he passed away only 12 years later, but his early planning and simple intentions allowed his family to execute his wishes and move on quicker.

Audrey Hepburn – the lesson learned here was how important is it to be specific with your intentions. Although Ms. Hepburn had a Will, she simply left her “memorabilia” to be split 50/50 between her two sons. Who would receive which items? It was up to them to decide. Unfortunately, this led to over 20 years of disputes until the brothers finally came to an agreement.

Muhammad Ali – he always had a larger-than-life personality and he ensured this carried through to his death by including the details of his elaborate multi-day memorial service in his Will. This teaches us to consider more than assets when creating a Will; think about how you want loved ones to bid you farewell or how you would want your remains handled.

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Ashton Grace – Specialists in Peace of Mind