Sherman Hemsley's Will Contested

 Posted on September 07, 2012 in Estate Planning

According to The Chicago Tribune, although Sherman Hemsley passed away on July 24, to this date he still has not been buried. His body is reportedly being held in a cold storage unit in an El Paso funeral home while his will is being fought over.

The Associate Press reports that Hemsley executed a new will just six weeks before he lost his battle with lung cancer that named Flora Enchinton as his "beloved partner" and the sole beneficiary of his estate. Enchinton also claims that she has been his manager for well over the last two decades.

The validity of his will is being contested by a Philadelphia man named Richard Thornton who claims to be the brother of the late Hemsley. He states that his alleged brother did not write this will.

Enchinton has expressed her confusion and concern over this claim stating that Hemsley had never mentioned having relatives.

The matter will have to be decided before a local court. The date for the matter to be heard has yet to be set so at this time there are no plans of burying the body of the late actor. Hemsley was famous for his appearances on "All in the Family" as well as the spin off show, "The Jeffersons". He later starred in another sitcom called, "Amen." Hemsley's estate is reported to be worth over $50,000.00.

Situations like this can be avoided by having a qualified and professional Wheaton estate planning attorney draw your will to make sure that your final instructions are carried out as you want them to be. If your intentions are drafted by a lawyer, the validity cannot be contested. Death is a hard thing to deal with for the family, friends and loved ones that are left behind. People deal with death in different ways. Having a lawyer to carry out your last will and testament will make it just a little easier on everyone.