A significant percentage of beneficiaries have reported experiencing guilt. It’s a psychological response that arises when someone receives wealth stemming from the loss of a loved one. While guilt is part of grief, it can prevent a beneficiary from benefiting from...
Cases of siblings disagreeing because of their parent’s estate plan are not uncommon. This often leads to court cases, delayed distribution and damaged relationships. But what can lead to siblings fighting over inheritance? Here are two common causes: Unequal bequests...
If the estate executor distributes copies of a person’s will, and one of the beneficiaries is unhappy with what they have been allotted, they may want to challenge the will. Maybe they expected to receive different family heirlooms, for example, or a greater...
Estate planning often requires that testators make a number of challenging decisions. They have to choose who to name as beneficiaries and what each of their beneficiaries should inherit. Making decisions about particularly valuable assets can be a challenge,...
The personal representative or executor of an estate is likely to experience some conflict during estate administration. People who expect to inherit from the estate may take issue with how the personal representative manages estate resources or communicates with...
As families get together over the holidays, people often take the opportunity to make sure their older family members, like parents and grandparents, have a will in place. If you’re the recipient of such inquiries, you might understandably look for the seemingly...
When a business owner dies, their company often becomes part of the probate process if the business or ownership shares are in the owner's name alone. In that case, the court must step in to decide how to transfer those assets to the rightful heirs. That's why it is...
People sometimes cut someone out of their estate plan or leave them comparatively little in order to show their disapproval or disappointment with them. For example, a mother who feels her daughter should have been around more in her old age may reduce her share of...
It is common for beneficiaries to assume that an estate plan will be written equally for all of them. Siblings may assume they will all get an equal portion of their parents’ financial assets, for example. If their parents are going to be leaving a home or other real...
When people die, the property that they own becomes the property of their estates. Any assets without transfer-on-death designations attached or a co-owner may become part of an estate. The assets in an estate are subject to distribution based on the instructions...