When Beneficiaries Don’t Get Along
It’s not uncommon for adult siblings to hold grudges and maintain long-running disputes. Unfortunately, financial matters, like your will and your estate, are not likely to bring your children any closer together. In fact, if one of your children is left as the executor of your estate, his or her siblings might be highly critical and suspicious during the distribution phase.
Even if the questions don’t go so far as to result in one of the beneficiaries contesting the will or protesting the estate distribution process, you might find it best to have a distant relative or professional handle the distribution of assets.
The executor of your will is likely to get paid for his or her work. Frankly, being the executor of a will is hard work that involves legal documents and judicial processes. From an outsider, it might appear to be easy. And if your adult children are looking for ways to increase family tension, one person getting more than the others (as payment to handle your estate) might be reason enough to start a shouting match.
Your passing will be an emotional and stressful time for your family. Be sure to name an executor who won’t be caught in the middle of an unnecessary family fight.
