Our Weekly Tip: A Lesson Learned from MLK on Creating a Will

We take a look at the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose lack of a will created ongoing tension in his family.

Our Tip of the Week: We’re a big fan of O’Grady Law Group’s Estate Planning newsletter (subscribe by e-mailing john@ogradylaw.com) at SevenPonds. In anticipation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, their most recent newsletter highlighted a little known fact of the beloved activist’s life: MLK had no will.

That’s right, even the most active and intelligent among us can fall victim to unpreparedness regarding wills and post-death plans. Today, Dr. King’s children feel divided as to what they ought to do with his personal items. His eldest son, Dexter, sold many of King’s possessions and was then sued by other family members.

How-to Suggestion: This week, our tip is fairly simple: remember that your will is important, because it’s not all about you. MLK’s daughter, Bernice, said that her father would be “turning in his grave” if he knew what was going on with his personal items and family members. Take a lesson from Dr. King’s own case, and get cracking on your post-death plans. Your organization will save your loved ones lots of grief, and provide them with unity in a difficult time.

Explore other estate planning tips through our Practical Tips column.