Make-A-Will Week - Fighting Family Members

In the Province of BC, this week is dedicated to individuals and families making sure they have a Will. It is one of the most important documents; however, most people in the province don't have a Will.

After a family member has passed away, the surviving family members argue over what was left for them. There are many reasons why families argue over assets which can cause deep separations within a family unit.  Associate Jen Schreurs discusses this and gives examples of why this can happen. 

Transcript:

Our final topic for Make-a-Will week is why families argue over your stuff, even if you’ve made a Will. There are many reasons that families argue over possessions and property, even if you have a Will in place. 

The reason that comes up most often is that children feel they are being treated unequally in one form or another. Maybe one child received more money and help during your life or thought they would receive a certain article you owned. Perhaps another child is upset that only one of them is picked to be the executor – or conversely, they are both named as executors and are arguing over how to administer your estate! The possibilities are endless. 

Arguments quite often crop up in a blended family situation where you have the pleasure of trying to balance the competing interests of your new spouse and your children from your previous relationship. Unfortunately, arguments occur all too often after death, but there are mechanisms and steps we can put in place before death to help minimize the risk.