After Davy Jones of the Monkees died in February, the probate court agreed with his executrix to make his will unavailable as a public document. For most estates, though, wills are public records and can be viewed by anyone. The speculation about the privacy request centers around Jones' marriage to a woman half his age which occurred 5 years after he made the will and possible financial problems he was suffering. The widow has already filed a claim against the estate asking for the statutory share allowed for surviving spouses.
I doubt that his estate is proceeding as Jones would have wanted. We can learn four lessons from Jones' errors.
1. The use of a funded trust avoids the probate process and provides privacy in administering estates abnegating the need to seal the will.
2. When marrying for the second (or especially third time), a pre-nuptial agreement is essential so that spouses know what to expect and do not file claims against the estate. It is hard to believe that Dennis Hopper got this, but Davy Jones did not.
3. Estate planning documents should always be updated after marriage.
4. As appealing as it sounds, it is never a good idea to marry someone younger than your children.
Mike, the smart Monkee, is probably aware of all of this.
