Why do I care? I’m dead.

I was deeply saddened by the death of Ms. Aretha Franklin, but I was also disappointed in someone who had long been one of my favorite artists.

I grew up with “I Never Loved a Man,” “Respect,” and “Say a Little Prayer.” I danced and laughed at “Think” and “Oh,” and there was 1987, when she and George Michael (my teenage crush) sang “Knew You Were Waiting.” In the music video, George Michael danced and sang, while Aretha symbolically belted out her part of the duet on a big screen behind him. I sang this song at the top of my lungs any time it came on the radio for years, as my friends will attest.

Most importantly, I was awed by her business sense — she always tried to get cash up front in her gigs, due to the way black artists were typically treated.

That being said, I cannot figure out for the life of me why yet another financially successful artist and high-profile entertainer chose not to make or update an estate plan. This is Business 101. Coming from a woman who was astute enough to make sure she received payment prior to performing (and in cash at that), I’m still trying to figure this out.

In my practice, one of the first questions clients hear during a phone consultation is “When did you last update your estate plan?” Almost inevitably the answer is either “I have no estate plan,” or “I haven’t updated it in 15…