In 1984, a lawyer named William D. Zabel, who had drafted wills for 20 years, wrote in The New York Times that people sometimes refuse to write a will because they weren't ready to "resolve their true feelings" about death, property, and family.
"Refusing to do a will — or to sign it, once done — is often a way a man refuses to confront his fear of death," he wrote.
In the US, a will doesn't have to be drafted by a lawyer, or even typed, but these factors can help a will stand up in court. A person can usually create a valid will if their intentions are written down, they apparently want the document to be a will, and they are considered to have the mental capacity at the time of writing. Technical requirements differ from state to state, but often two witnesses are also required who must sign the will.
In a study executed between 2014 and 2016, The Conversation found estate disputes where a will wasn't executed usually cost about $17,000 in attorney fees. When it comes to celebrity estates the cost of failing to execute a will can be much more.
Here are 12 instances where famous people died without a will and what happened afterward.