3 Ways to Avoid Contentious Probate Disputes / Inheritance Fights.

The facts are somewhat grim odds are that your relatives will fight after   you are gone over your assets. A recent study by the Williams Group a California family research firm found that although about 30 trillion dollars will pass through inheritance over 70% of those funds will be disputed over.As a Palm Beach Probate Lawyer I have to say this is pretty on point, but you do not have to be a statistic. Check out these three ways to avoid contenious probate battles. 

1. Life is not fair and your relatives should know that neither is your will necessarily.You have to decide for yourself what “fair” means when it comes to your inheritance. Ive blogged before about people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett who think fair means donating the majority of your estae to charity, there is no one size fits all. Given that different assets and possessions will have different values to different family members an even division is almost impossible. Your son just is not going to value your jewelry as much as your jet boat and vice versa for your daughter. Focus on what is fair to you, if you have one child who is struggling financially, it may be “fair” to leave them more, that is up to you, no one else.
2. Itemize, make a list.  List all your assets from real property to accounts and jewelry, cars etc. Now start to consider who you want to have these assets and make sure your relatives feel that you are considering their feelings. You would be shocked how many family disputes are not about numbers but are about the question of who was Mom’s favorite.  
3. Start a conversation. It shocks me how many parents never share the extent of their assets, this is just asking for conflict. Keep all your heirs in the loop.

Inheritance disputes do not need to be world war three and in many ways we owe it to our loved ones to keep the family intact after we are gone, no one wants assets more than a family. Estate plans are a great way to keep these issues civil and to keep the inheritance where it belongs, with the family and not in the courts.