What happened to Aaron Hernandez estate?

By Jason Bolton February 09, 2024 01:31

Besides being a tight-end for the New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez's name was also known because of his series of legal and financial issues. One famous area of discussion and contention has been his estate.

Legal Issues and Death of Aaron Hernandez

A murder conviction fell on Aaron Hernandez in 2013. The victim was his fiancée's sister, Odin Lloyd. Not only that, he was also accused of fatally shooting two men in Boston. He was convicted in the shooting death of Lloyd, but acquitted at a criminal trial for that killing and the double homicide. In 2007, he was arrested for murder and released on bail in 2013 after jail time. After another announcement of another conviction for a homicide in 2017, he turned to suicide while imprisoned.

Familial Fights Over Hernandez's Fortune

After his death, there were legal fights about how to manage the estate of Aaron Hernandez. It stated that the estate had "no money available and no identifiable personal assets." The estate has also been tied to three different wrongful-death lawsuits and had already racked up substantial debt like owing the town of North Attleboro over $100,000 in real estate taxes.

Trustee's Dispute with Fiancée

After his death, his fiancée Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez got involved with court battle over spending the trust fund set up for their daughter, Avielle. The kind of spending that the fund trustee, attorney David Schwartz, is worried about includes shopping at high-end department stores, online retailers, and personal-care purchases — according to him, none of which can benefit Avielle in any way.

Jenkins-Hernandez introduced evidence that the trust was not making large enough payments by showing she received $150,000 or more in money annually from Hernandez's NFL pension and Social Security, which were designed to go toward their daughter’s daily expenses. The trust, which held more than $700K, was supposed to go to Avielle when she turned 25.

Legal Fights and Court Filings

The filings showed that Schwartz asked for relief from Jenkins-Hernandez's governance of Avielle due to "extravagant" spending and her dismissal of court orders. Jenkins-Hernandez requested the court to replace Schwartz as he was making a big deal of how she was spending Avielle's money beyond his purview.

Financials Of Hernandez

Hernandez still had nearly $6 million left on his Patriots deal when he was arrested. But his estate was reportedly nearly broke, and Aaron’s fortune had seemingly been used up by various debts and legal fees.

Murder Conviction Reinstated

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court also restored Hernandez's murder conviction — which had been erased under a longstanding legal principle following his suicide since he died before exhausting the appeals process.

What This Means for Estate Planning

The handling of Aaron Hernandez's estate is a stark reminder that understanding your legal and financial situation through an Estate Plan can assist in protecting you and avoiding time-consuming litigation.

In the wake of Aaron Hernandez's legal troubles and suicide, family finances are at risk, with his estate running into a slew of complex issues. With the disputes around his estate, it became clear that good planning for an estate was paramount, together with familiarization with how well things work in legal systems.