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Estate disputes are more common than many people realize – and they can end up tearing a family apart.
Understanding the common reasons for inheritance disputes may help you take a more strategic approach to your estate planning process so that your family doesn’t end up in litigation after your death. Some of the biggest issues include:
1. Intestacy
Not having an estate plan because you think you don’t have enough assets to bother or because you’ve expressed your wishes to your loved ones is always a major problem. When you die “intestate,” or without a will, the state will set the rules for how your assets are distributed – and your heirs may have to raise legal claims to get what they believe is fair. To protect your loved ones from a potential financial nightmare, you need to get a basic will (at least) in place.
2. Blended families
It’s no longer unusual for people to find love a second or third time around – but that means that there are a lot of blended families out there. When children from first marriages and second spouses, in particular, have different expectations about how an estate’s assets will be distributed, huge disputes can result. Good estate planning can make sure that everybody’s interests are fairly protected.
3. Ambiguous wills
Poorly drafted wills are a primary cause behind many estate battles. This often happens with “do-it-yourself” wills that people find online because they can include ambiguous language, contradictory clauses and generally unclear language.
A badly written will can be even more problematic than no will at all, so it’s important to get experienced legal guidance with yours. Contact us online or call today for a free consultation with Pennington Law, PLLC.
