Actor John Mahoney recently passed away while in hospice care. He left behind an estate that is worth millions, with many possible heirs.
Actor John Mahoney had a long and distinguished career as an actor in a variety of roles. He was best known for his award-winning work on the TV show Frasier, in which he played the main character's elderly father.
He passed away recently at a hospice, while suffering from a variety of illnesses. Friends, former co-workers and fans have shown an immense amount of grief over the loss.
One friend recently petitioned a court to open a probate case to settle Mahoney's estate, as TMZ reported in "'Frasier' Star John Mahoney Leaves Behind $5 Mil Estate."{: target="_blank"}
The full details about Mahoney's estate are not yet known. The estate is believed to be worth $5 million, including real estate worth approximately $300,000. It is not clear from the initial reporting whether Mahoney had a will or trust.
It is also not clear how Mahoney might have directed the distribution of his estate between various people. Court documents do list 38 potential beneficiaries of the estate, who were friends and relatives of Mahoney.
An estate as large as Mahoney's with many potential inheritors is often a perfect recipe for conflict. Those potential inheritors may lawyer up and choose to fight over their respective share of the estate.
However, it is too soon to know whether that will happen in this case and what Mahoney might have done to make conflicts over his estate less likely to occur.
Reference: TMZ (March 24, 2018) "'Frasier' Star John Mahoney Leaves Behind $5 Mil Estate."{: target="_blank"}