Experiencing a death in the family is incredibly heart-wrenching. And when it is a parent's death, a heavy burden is placed upon the adult children, as they are now tasked with handling everything that has to do with the distribution of assets, managing the inheritance, executing a will if it one is present and more. As a result, there is a high likelihood of acrimony breeding among the family members, more so if there is a considerable amount of money on the table!
Thus, in addition to grieving your deceased parent, you find you are also battling with your siblings, step-parents and so on. However, this does not have to be the case. If you and your family members want to limit friction among all of you, it is best to enlist the services of a deceased estate lawyer. Keep reading for a couple of the ways that a deceased estate lawyer can mitigate family conflicts after the death of a parent.
A deceased estate lawyer will expedite the asset distribution process
Unquestionably, one of the most sensitive aspects of dealing with the death of a parent is ensuring that the inheritance is not only distributed as per the will but that it is done both quickly and efficiently. Delays in the distribution of the assets that have been left behind leaves room for animosity to breed among the family members, which will only make the process more stressful than it needs to be. Nonetheless, this process still has to be undertaken in accordance with the law.
Therefore, if you do not want any delays stemming from submitting the wrong paperwork or not meeting court determined deadlines, it is best to leave the intricacies of the process to a professional who knows what they are doing. A deceased estate lawyer will work to ensure that your case moves forward in an accelerated manner and this helps with reducing the risk of conflicts arising among family members.
A deceased estate lawyer will help with establishing beneficiaries
Simply because your parent had a will in place does not mean that the document was up to date. Over the years, familial relationships change. Perhaps the decedent drew up the will a couple of decades ago when they were happily married but passed on after a bitter divorce after which they were not even on speaking terms with their ex-spouse!
On the other hand, the decedent may have drawn up a will when their older children were just kids only to get a few more children later on in life. Simply because the will does not include the latest children does not mean they are not entitled to a share of the inheritance. A deceased estate lawyer is the best professional to navigate these scenarios where estate plans were not updated to reflect the current relationships of the parent before they passed away.
Share16 March 2021
Hello, my name is Sandra. I live with my two children in Eastern Australia. I have recently come through a very difficult divorce. My ex-partner used to drink too much and he wasn't a very good husband or father. The final straw was when I discovered he was having an affair. I filed for divorce the same day. I knew that getting divorced would be difficult but I didn't realise just how difficult. My husband did all he could to make it hard for me and the kids. Thankfully, I found a fantastic family lawyer who helped me through the entire process. I won custody of the kids and my husband has been asked to pay child support. I decided to start this blog to help others who are going through a divorce.