
A Legal Battle Between Siblings
Unfortunately, due to hidden resentments, siblings still tend to end up in court suing each other and losing great chunks of their inheritance in the process all too frequently.

Unfortunately, due to hidden resentments, siblings still tend to end up in court suing each other and losing great chunks of their inheritance in the process all too frequently.

No one has to accept inherited assets. Inherited assets can be disclaimed.

What happens when a decedent’s will or trust does not provide for a decedent’s child?

Despite many attempts at repeal over the years, the modern U.S. Estate Tax has been in place since September 8, 1916. Each U.S. citizen and resident alien is entitled to a lifetime exemption from the federal Gift/Estate Tax called the Applicable Exclusion Amount.

One wrong decision can lead to expensive consequences, and good luck trying to persuade the IRS to give you a do-over.

Sometimes beneficiaries end up not receiving their assets. Beneficiaries often lose out because the estate planning wasn’t done properly, but sometimes another family member contests the decedent’s will.

So, you’ve decided that a family member won’t be getting an inheritance, after all. Maybe you have an ungrateful or irresponsible family member you want to cut out of the will.

The possibility that a power of attorney might be rejected may be one reason not to simply pull a form off the internet and hope it will be accepted.

I have settled my mother’s estate and sent the final accounting paperwork to my three siblings. Two have signed off on the bond paperwork but my one brother is nitpicking the statements, asking for invoices for the lawyer, the CPA, etc. Can I send the other two their share of the inheritance or do I need to wait until everyone signs off?

Probate and trust administration are not the same. There are important differences and similarities between administering a decedent’s probate estate and administering a decedent’s trust estate.