Chadwick Boseman’s death from colon cancer in 2020 shocked his fans. The actor and playwright, best known for starring in Marvel’s first “Black Panther” movie, worked throughout his private battle with the disease.

Six years after he died at 43 without a will, he is back in the news because of a dispute among his loved ones.

His multimillion-dollar estate is once again in a California courtroom. Boseman’s two brothers have asked a judge to remove his widow, Simone Ledward, from managing and settling the estate. They also want the judge to hold Ledward in contempt of court. They claim that the resolution of his estate has stalled due to delays, poor communication and mismanagement. Ledward has not yet responded publicly to these claims.

This family feud involving a celebrity highlights three legal issues that intrigue us as scholars of inheritance law. First, when someone dies without a will, their property passes to heirs in accordance with their state’s laws. Second, putting one heir in charge of an estate can create friction with the other heirs. And third, judges can remove that person for serious misconduct.

Spouses don’t necessarily inherit everything

You might presume that when someone who is married dies without a will, their surviving spouse automatically gets everything. That’s not always true.

Every state has its own intestacy statute. Those laws establish rules determining who inherits property when someone dies without a valid will. They vary considerably.

In California, where Boseman died at his Los Angeles home, the law divides the property of married people into two........

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