Chadwick Boseman was no stranger to the spotlight. Now, his estate is taking center stage.
After losing a four-year long battle to colon cancer in 2020, the Black Panther star left behind a $3.8 million estate without a will to determine who would inherit his assets/fortune. And to complicate matters further, Boseman had secretly married his partner, Taylor Simone Ledward, just six days before his passing.
What began as an estate without a will has since erupted into a major family feud. Boseman’s widow inherited 50% his estate and was appointed administrator of the estate. His parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, each inherited 25%. However, according to Boseman’s brothers’ most recent Los Angeles court filings—acting on their parents’ behalf—Ledward allegedly failed to distribute their parents’ full shares of the estate nearly four years after being appointed Administrator which requires her to do so.
The Boseman estate battle may involve a celebrity family, but it offers valuable estate-planning lessons, and warnings, that every family could learn from.
No Will? No Control: When a person dies without a will, they are deemed to have died intestate. State laws will determine how the person’s property, debts, and estate administration are handled. Dying intestate can create stress and family conflict, particularly when the law’s distribution of an estate does not align with the decedent’s wishes or family’s expectations. This is where a well-crafted will could make all the difference: by carrying out the decedent’s true wishes and providing clear direction for family members as they navigate their loved one’s death, free from unnecessary drama.
Marriage Matters: When a person dies intestate, their estate is distributed according to a state’s intestate succession laws. These laws determine who inherits from the estate and how much they receive based on their relationship to the decedent. In Chadwick Boseman’s case, both his widow and parents received shares of his estate under California’s intestate succession laws. Had Boseman died in New York, his parents would not have inherited any portion of his estate, and 100% would have passed to his wife. Even more significantly, had Ledward not married Boseman, she would not have been entitled to inherit from his estate at all.
Capacity Counts: Marriage is a contract. To enter into a valid marriage, a person must satisfy a state’s legal requirements to marry, including having the requisite mental capacity to understand and consent to the marriage. Capacity is generally determined by a person’s ability to consent freely, without the external influences of fraud, duress, drugs, or alcohol. This is a relatively low threshold in comparison to the testamentary capacity to make a will. Though it still raises the important question: did Chadwick Boseman possess the requisite legal capacity to marry just six days before his death? Questions about marital capacity can have significant consequences for an estate, potentially affecting who may inherit a decedent’s assets.
Choose Your Fiduciary Wisely: An Administrator is appointed by the court to manage and distribute the estate of a person who dies intestate. Like an “Executor” nominated in a will, an Administrator owes a fiduciary duty to put the estate’s interests before their own personal interests. This includes distributing assets without unreasonable delay, which the Boseman brother’s accused Ledward of not doing. Administrators play a critical role in ensuring an estate is managed properly, efficiently, and fairly. Without a will, however, a decedent has no say in who will take on this role. This can create greater uncertainty about whether the Administrator will faithfully carry out their duties to the estate.
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