Signs Your Family Will Fight Over Your Estate

After you die, you expect your loved ones to stick together and divide your real estate according to the will. This is not often the case. Sometimes your family may fail to agree on who should get what, leading to endless legal battles and personal attacks . To avoid this, you must know the signs that indicate possible future fights.

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Strong Sibling Rivalry

If you see your children constantly trying to outdo each other, then there might be a strong rivalry going on between them. As rivals, they fail to agree on simple things and always try to underrate each other. Your real estate might become a battle ground for such rivalry and the settlement of old scores. To avoid this, you need to appoint a qualified fiduciary as a trustee. You can also get a relative who is disassociated with the rivalry to help.

Financial Imbalance Among the Beneficiaries

Economic and social imbalances are enough to cause tensions among your heirs. A heir who is financially stable might want to hold onto an asset for future gains. His or her less privileged counterparts, on the other hand, may want to sell the asset immediately to gain financial freedom. In such scenarios, you need to leave specific instructions as to what happens in case of a sale or preservation. You can also hire a family lawyer to help you. Firms such as Prime Lawyers will engage all the parties involved and create a level playing field for everyone.

Mental Illness Among the Beneficiaries

Dividing a property according to the dictates of the will requires rationality and composure. An irrational and irritable beneficiary will most likely derail the process. To avoid this, you can give the trustee the authority to make the call on behalf of the beneficiaries. You can also establish a provision that makes any claim contingent to good mental health and zero substance abuse.

Coercion

There some people who will coerce you to favor them in your will. For example, in the case of end-of-life care, there are some loved ones who will provide care more than the rest in a bid to make you allocate them a larger share of the real estate. You can avoid this by nurturing a great parental relationship with your children. This will reduce offspring apathy and create trust and love among them.

Late Marriage

Late marriage can be sweet, even for terminally ill individuals. However, you should expect a lot of resentment from the new spouse once you die, particularly if you have other children entitled to your real estate. Such dissatisfaction can lead to endless legal battles and personal attacks. To avoid this, it is important to have a trust that clearly outlines how the real estate will be divided.

Choosing an Executor From the Beneficiaries

Most people choose one member of their family to be the executor. In most cases, it is the eldest child or one who has good professional credentials. Doing so can make the other children feel sidelined and untrustworthy, leading to resentment. Look for an impartial executor instead.