True. When I was a tabloid writer, we would end up writing anything about someone who just died. You'll see biographies come out after someone died making outrageous claims. Not that you should be influenced by this nonsense. But say what you will. 

I would've thought that as long as there's a disclaimer you're golden. 

When you say deceased historical "character" - do you mean an actual person, or a fictional character...? There is a huge difference, as I'm sure you realize. For instance, God help you if you use Sherlock Holmes since these works are the cause of near constant litigation here in the U.S. But Doyle...? Fair game - as long as you don't use his great detective. 

With our extremely litigious society in the U.S., even the deceased's relatives can go after you for libel. Best to have their heirs "okay" your work ... or change the names to protect yourself. I'm completing the first of two books, a biography called The Last Jewish Gangster - a living person - who I interview in person twice a week. That makes that part easier since he approves the work. However, we'll run into some challenges when the publisher's editor jumps in and may have to alter a few names (most of his references are dead). My additional challenge is that my "gangster" wants to embarrass some of the people who've wrong him over the years - so he "turns up the volume" in some of the scenes. It adds a lot more flavor but it stretches the story/truth. Good luck.  

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