Sometimes, despite the best estate planning efforts, family members can turn an estate into a protracted battle. Dying without a will is usually far worse and often creates longstanding issues that could have been prevented by a proper estate plan. The estate of Bob Marley is one of the most powerful examples of a Bleak House-like battle with various characters and agendas. Although it is not as long-running as Jarndyce and Jarndyce, the bickering over Bob Marley's estate continues 30 years after the famous Reggae singer's death.

The controversy over Marley's estate arises out of his religion. Apparently Bob Marley's Rastafarian religion prevented him from recognizing his mortality so he had to rely on Jamaican intestate law to pass his assets when he died of cancer. His widow wasn't too pleased with the share of assets that she would inherit so she reportedly decided to create a post-hoc estate plan and forged Marley's signatures on some of the documents.

Marley's former managers found out about the plan and the fallout resulted in an attorney and an accountant being found guilty of a RICO conspiracy. Marley's widow claimed legal ignorance and that she was just following her attorney's orders.

The most recent lawsuit related to the Bob Marley estate was filed by a corporation owned by Bob Marley's widow and her children. The corporation tries to control the Marley brand including his image, name and lyrics. The corporation sued Bob Marley's half-brother, Richard Booker, who runs festivals and tours in the village where Bob Marley was born and buried.

We will discuss details of this lawsuit in our next post.

Source: Forbes, "Are Bob Marley's Heirs Destroying His Legacy?" Danielle and Andy Mayoras, Dec. 5, 2011