Jimi Hendrix died without a will in 1970. A battle over his estate raged for more than 30 years. Perhaps the courts overseeing the estates of Prince and, just recently, Aretha Franklin, will bring resolution in a shorter period of time. But if history is any guide, the process is likely to be acrimonious—to say the least. Despite fame or fortune, the consequences of dying without a will can disrupt lives in very consequential and disruptive ways.