Money is thicker than blood. The temptation of its receipt is intoxicating to the person or persons bound for its inheritance. The child or sibling that has been taking care of the parent for the last season of the parent’s life feels entitled to a larger than equal share of the bounty of the decedent’s estate, as a payment, a reimbursement for the child’s time and efforts.
In fact, many parents become unduly influenced by the attention of the child and wish to pay him/her a reward for the imputed services. When this happens, the trusted and long since created Last Will and Testament gets re-written at the law office of the child’s attorney, oftentimes crafted to cut-out out the other beneficiaries, altogether. “It’s what Mama and Daddy wanted.”
The emotional impact upon the intended beneficiary makes for protracted and expensive litigation. At times like these, the situation calls for a professional, a clear-headed fair-minded attorney who can represent the beneficiary separate and apart from the emotion of the event.
Our practice includes this type of litigation: will contests, claims against executors and administrators for over-reaching and mishandling estate property, undue influence, insufficient capacity, improper execution, fraud and other offenses. We work with individuals, beneficiaries, banks, executors of estates, and trustees of trusts. We negotiate with creditors and we deal with claimants. We locate and secure assets and we enforce or defend against the terms of the decedent’s Will.
Probate litigation, sometimes it’s a necessity. We are here when you need us.
