January 16, 2007 15:35

James Brown will dispute takes new twist

Lawyers say soul singer's will was drawn up before marriage

The dispute over James Brown's will has taken another twist after lawyers said that it had been drawn-up over a year before he married his last wife, Tomi Rae Hynie.

According to Brown's probate attorney, Strom Thurmond Jr, the document was signed on August 1, 2000 - ten months after the birth of his son James Brown Jr and 16 months after he married Hynie.

The late singer's attorneys say his will does not include his widow or his son, although he did include his other six children.

North Augusta lawyer James Huff said that if a will specifically names some children but excludes others, the excluded children have no claim to the parent's assets, regardless of when they were born, reports The Augusta Chronicle

His lawyers also argue that Hynie is not Brown's widow because she was still married at the time of their wedding so their union was void. She later annulled her previous marriage but she and Brown never remarried.

Despite the claims, Hynie is adamant that she was legally married to the soul singer.