How Prince's Estate Will Fight Paternity Claims

Dna

Given the size of Prince's estate and the lack of a will it is expected that numerous paternity claims will be made against the estate.   

The estate has a plan to handle the claims.

When Prince passed away he apparently did not have any form of estate plan, not even a will. As a result, anyone who can prove that the musician was his or her father would stand to inherit Prince's entire fortune.

No children are known to exist according to Prince's friends and family. Nevertheless, because of the high stakes it is expected that numerous people will attempt to press claims. The group Heir Hunters has said that it is already looking into one such claim.

To deal with these expected claims, Prince's estate has decided to be proactive. The estate asked for and received permission from a judge to use a sample of Prince's blood to conduct DNA testing. Prince's remains were cremated, but the sample was obtained prior to that as part of an autopsy.

The existence of the blood sample and the genetic information that will come from the DNA test will make it much easier for the estate to handle any paternity claims that are made. Any claimant will have to prove paternity using his or her own DNA. In fact, if it becomes widely known that Prince's DNA has already been tested, then it is possible fewer claims will be made as any false claims can be quickly dismissed.

Reference: New York Daily News (May 6, 2016) "Prince's estate to fight paternity claims with late rock icon's blood sample

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