Gene Hackman's three adult children will inherit the actor's estimated fortune of $80 million despite signs that the late thespian originally planned to leave them nothing.

His estate was initially set up to be passed to his wife, Betsy Arakawa, according to legal experts. Her name appeared on the couple's three properties, raising speculation that the Oscar-winning actor had intended to cut out his children — Christopher, Leslie, and Elizabeth — from his will. But due to an unforeseen legal twist after the couple's deaths within a few months of each other, Hackman's windfall will now go to his children.

Goldie Schon, a high-profile lawyer, broke down the legal ins and outs, told The US Sun, "For unforeseen reasons, these two people passed similarly in time, but oddly enough, she passed before him. As a result, even though his desires were for his estate to go to her in its entirety, Betsy died first."

Schon explained further that since Hackman's will left everything to his wife — who died before he did — the estate entered a legal status called intestacy. "Now we're in a situation where his will and trust say that everything goes to her, but she died first. Essentially, this means it's as if he passed without a will," she said.

Hackman's Children to Get Estate Despite Legal Squabbles

Without a clear directive overriding them, Hackman's three children are legally entitled to his wealth. "When that happens, we have other rules in place that dictate who the estate goes to, and the first in line are the next of kin, which would be his children,"Schon continued.

According to reports, at least one of Hackman's children has already secured legal counsel in anticipation of possible disagreements regarding the will. "It's not unusual for one or all three of his children to secure legal counsel to obtain a portion of his estate," Schon added. "Quite frankly, that's the way it should be if there was no explicit disinheritance."

Hackman's estate plan appeared to favor the financial security of his wife generally, Schon said, but there was no language in the will that explicitly disinherited his children. "If he had directly stated that he did not want his children to receive anything, it would be a different situation," she said. "Instead, it appears he simply wanted to ensure his wife was taken care of first."

The Sad Deaths

Hackman and Arakawa were discovered dead inside their $3.3 million Santa Fe compound last month. The actor died of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease was a contributing factor. Arakawa's death was attributed to a respiratory illness connected to hantavirus, an uncommon disease that is transmitted by rodents.

Even with the surprise twist in his estate, lawyers are confident of what a fair outcome is.

"At this point, it's not surprising that his children are stepping forward to claim their inheritance," Schon said. "We should find some solace that his estate will be passed down through his own family."