We are seeing a number of trust and estate disputes arising from an individual or family trying to solve a legal problem without consulting an attorney. We recommend hiring counsel at the outset to avoid inadvertently setting the table for a family dispute.
- Example 1: Several siblings initially agreed on how to manage their incapacitated parent’s property and finances. Later, a dispute arose when some siblings did not perform under the agreement as the other siblings expected them to.
- Example 2: A family member serving as trustee developed a plan for handling the trust’s debt, given that the trust had no cash. Later, some trust beneficiaries objected to the plan, after it had been implemented.
- Example 3: A group of siblings agreed on a plan for transferring, maintaining, and eventually selling the estate’s residence; the agreement fell apart, and a dispute arose.
We have much experience assisting families in memorializing agreements and solving problems — sometimes extremely complicated problems involving difficult family dynamics.
