If your will is written with enough detail and processed in the proper manner, it will be difficult for members of your family to successfully contest against the intentions of your will. However, you may rightly have some concerns about family conflict taking place after your death.
This blog will provide a brief overview on how to minimize the risk of inheritance conflict, so that you can write a will and seal it with peace of mind that it will be used exactly how you intended it to be.
Be specific about the sale of real property
The different heirs of your estate may have disparate incomes, and therefore if there is any ambiguity in how you intend your property to be allocated, disputes may occur. Make sure that you are very clear in your allocation of any property of value.
Appoint a single trustee
Co-trustees can often set the scene for conflict. You never know how multiple people will behave in the management of your will or trust, so it is best to play it safe and appoint a single trustee that you know you can depend on.
Specify advancement on inheritance payments
Resentment can ensue if you have helped out one relative as an informal “advancement on inheritance,” and not another. For example, you may have helped out one of your children on the deposit for their first home. It is important to make it clear in your will whether money such as this was a gift or an advancement on their inheritance.
Source: Everplans, “8 signs your family will fight over your estate,” accessed Aug. 28, 2017
