Workin’ 9 to 5: Why Estate Administration Shouldn’t Be a Family Business
Workin’ 9 to 5: Why Estate Administration Shouldn’t Be a Family Business By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi October 2, 2026 When Dolly Parton sang "9 to 5, what a way to make a livin' / Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin'...", she captured the universal grind of the workplace. But as recent headlines out of Nashville show, when estate administration turns into an unpaid, high-stakes job for family members, that "all takin' and no givin'" feeling can quickly ruin family relationships. Following Parton’s passing, a legal battle erupted between her corporate estate entity (She's Alive, LLC) and a family member who had long served as a key employee and operational manager. What followed was a wave of court filings, temporary restraining orders, and administrative friction that brought key estate work to a crawl. While few families manage a multi-million-dollar music catalog, this dispute highlights a critical lesson for every estat...