What type of planning should be done if family members do not get along?
The issue of blended families, and dealing with lack of trust among family members, while engaging in estate planning was recently discussed in a Market Watch advice column titled "My mother-in-law is deceitful -- can we stop her from stealing my wife's inheritance?"
In this particular case, a man and his wife believed that his mother-in-law is evil and deceitful. They are convinced she will hide assets and fraudulently transfer accounts to herself as soon as the wife's father passes away.
The father will not say much about it, other than stating that his children will be taken care of. They wonder what they can do to prevent a problem from arising and whether they should hire an attorney.
As the advice columnist points out, there is not much that can be done before the father passes away. Hiring an attorney too early might just make the problem worse - especially if it angers the father. They might also be viewing the mother-in-law incorrectly and she might have no plans to steal anyone's inheritance. The only option may be to deal with the issues after the father passes away. But advanced preparation could never hurt.
If you have concerns about a deceitful or dishonest family member, you should consult with an experienced estate administration attorney.
Reference: Market Watch (Jan. 8, 2018) "My mother-in-law is deceitful -- can we stop her from stealing my wife's inheritance?"
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