In the news, we often are witness to frequent celebrity estate battles, but we are rarely aware of such feuds amongst typical American families. As complex family structures become more common, estate planners will need to ensure appropriate measures that will help prevent conflicts among family members. Oftentimes, it will be important to the preservation of the family to memorialize estate intentions and communicate those intentions to the heirs. Another key to creating less animosity amongst family members is to select the right fiduciary to administer the estate and effectively communicate the wishes. And as always, clients must be reminded to periodically review and update their estate planning documents, especially upon significant life events.
See Anna Sulkin, How to Prevent Feuds Among Heirs, Wealth Management, April 10, 2017.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.
