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Aretha Franklin’s lawyer is suing the late singer’s estate for unpaid legal fees.
According to TMZ, Aretha’s lawyer, Gregory Reed claimed he had experienced trouble when collecting what the Natural Woman singer owed to him while she was alive and has filed documents seeking $54 000 (R794 000) for bills dating six years back.
In documents obtained by the publication, the lawyer’s firm claim that they had provided a number of services for the singer and only received payment from her up until 2012.
Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in August, aged 76, a few days after being reportedly “gravely ill”.
The queen of soul did not leave a will behind for her estate which was reportedly worth $80 million (R1,1 billion).
According to AP news, at least one of the singer’s attorney’s had urged her to leave a will behind.
“I tried to convince her that she should do not just a will but a trust while she was still alive,” says Don Wilson, a Los Angeles lawyer who worked on entertainment matters for Franklin for nearly 30 years.
“She never told me, ‘No, I don’t want to do one.’ She understood the need. It just didn’t seem to be something she got around to,” he reportedly said.
Subsequently her sons will have to share her estate between each other but according to Complex, it may take years for the assets to be divided between her sons Clarence Franklin, Edward Franklin, Kecalf Franklin, and Ted White Jr. Clarence — all aged between 43 to 63. — Drum .
derick.khumalo