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 Six siblings or half-siblings of Prince, found dead at age 57 at
his home in suburban Minneapolis on April 21, were listed as heirs
in court documents filed in Carver County District Court in Chaska,
Minnesota, where the hearing gets under way before Judge Kevin Eide.
The exact value of Prince's estate has not yet been disclosed, but
his music catalog alone has been estimated at over $500 million.
Bremer Trust, National Association, a bank where Prince conducted
business for years, could play a key role as a special administrator
to safeguard his fortune. The bank was appointed at the request of
Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and Judge Eide will hear any
objections on Monday, Minnesota courts spokesman Kyle Christopherson
said.
 Creditors and inheritors also can file claims against the estate, he
said. "We're not sure who's coming to sort of stake a claim,"
Christopherson said.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson, Prince, whose hits included "Purple Rain"
and "When Doves Cry," was married and divorced twice. He had no
living children. Under Minnesota law, his assets are likely to be
split evenly among the siblings, tax attorney Steve Hopkins said.
Hopkins said the bigger the estate, the greater the likelihood there
will be a dispute by claimants that could take years to settle.
Prince's affairs seems destined for tax court, much like superstar
Michael Jackson's estate, which is in a high priced skirmish with
the Internal Revenue Service over the value of Jackson's name and
image, Forbes reported.
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Prince owned royalties from his more than 30 albums, regained
ownership of his master recordings, and was said to have a cache of
unheard recordings, including an album cut with late jazz trumpet
great Miles Davis.
It could be weeks before results are released from an autopsy on
Prince, whose body was found in an elevator at his home and studio
complex called Paisley Park in a Minneapolis suburb. The cause of
death remains undetermined.
Prescription opioid medication was found on him, CNN and other media
reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Police have said they found no signs of suicide or obvious trauma in
Prince's death.
(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by
Cynthia Osterman)
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