Handling an inheritance amid resentful family members

On Behalf of | Feb 1, 2016 | Blog

As Nevada residents may know, conflict often arises among siblings when a parent dies and leaves all his or her assets to only one child. This is especially true when the estate consists of a large sum of money, valuable property or costly personal possessions. As a result, those left out of the will have feelings of anger and resentment. In fact, this kind of trouble oftentimes divides families.

In one case, a father died and left his entire estate to only one of his three adult children because he disapproved of the lifestyle of the other two children. When this happened, there was contention among the siblings, which caused the sole heir to feel guilty for not sharing the inheritance with them.

Unfortunately, arguments like this are not uncommon. A survey done in the UK involving 1,500 people who were part of a will dispute revealed that more than 40 percent were among siblings as opposed to other relatives like parents and their children. In addition, about half of the disputes had to do with real estate or land, while more than a third were associated with cash and around a fifth related to items of value. The study also found that 41 percent of the disputes challenged the legitimacy of the will, and 17 percent had to do with the choice of executor.

A last will and testament represents the last wishes of the testator. However, disputes sometimes arise among the testator’s family members who may feel they were left with an unfair portion of the inheritance. These disputes can create tension and strife among family members. Those who are involved in a family dispute regarding a will may wish to contact an attorney who could assist them in attempting to resolve the issue.

Source: Marketwatch, “My father excluded my siblings from his will”, Quentin Fottrell, Jan. 29, 2016