In an ideal world, your parents would have written a will and devised a plan for how their assets would be distributed after they died. The will, however, may be incomplete or differ from what you or your siblings expected. If this is the case, there may be some friction when you and your siblings learn how the inheritance will be divided.
It isn’t just about the cash. “The emotional component is one of the most difficult aspects of splitting an inheritance,” said James Miller, a licensed psychotherapist and host of the Life ology radio show.
When a parent dies, every child has their own way of expressing their grief. If someone has a problem with how the estate is distributed, it may manifest as resentment or hostility.
Sibling Disagreements: How to Handle Them
Parents can help prevent inheritance disputes among their children with proper planning, but after a parent’s death, siblings must take steps to avoid or resolve disputes on their own. Read the following…
Establish a Policy
Your parents should have a clear estate plan in place, but your family should also have a policy in place for dealing with potential inheritance conflicts.
Unfortunately, when there is no standardized way to resolve conflicts, the family is frequently challenged to find solutions while also grieving and losing. She advised families to include a conflict resolution policy in their estate plans, which should be developed by a committee of family members and approved by the entire family.
Seek Professional Help
According to experts, disagreements over family heirlooms are motivated by unexpressed emotions from the past rather than money. They suggested bring a family therapist to ensure that each sibling’s point of view is “respected and understood.”
Third Party
It’s important to remove emotions from decision-making in situations with significant grief and infighting. However, this may be easier said than done because each party has a different idea of what is fair and reasonable.
Moreover, they suggested that, if possible, the estate be handled by a neutral third party. You could, for example, hire an attorney or go to mediation. The latter is a procedure that allows you to avoid going to court over inheritance disputes. It is usually less expensive and provides a much more private, personal, and low-pressure solution than going to court. Contact with Shreveport’ Family Lawyer to understand the things with minute details.
Taking Sibling Conflicts to Court
If you’ve tried and failed to resolve inheritance issues outside of court, contesting the will is a last-resort option. To do so, you must provide a valid reason. A will cannot be challenged simply because it is unjust or cruel. Valid reasons include demonstrating that the testator was unduly influenced or lacked the mental capacity to sign a will.
Contesting a will in court can be a time-consuming and expensive process, so think carefully about whether it’s worthwhile to pursue. Also, keep in mind that once the will is admitted to probate, you may only have a limited amount of time to contest it. So, be cautious while taking the steps.
