When you’re in the middle of mourning a family member or friend who has passed, the last thing you want to do is get involved in a draining and lengthy inheritance battle. Unfortunately, disputes over inheritances can be somewhat inevitable.
Here are a few ways to get ready for a lengthy inheritance battle.
Try to Work it Out
Start off by trying to work out any disagreements that arise between inheritors. This can be tricky business if you are all close family members and friends since you don’t want to ruin any relationships in the process of inheritance. If you can’t negotiate different inheritance approaches, then try a different way of dividing up your family member’s possessions.
You can each take turns choosing an object, or even raffle off items at random. This will help to bring a bit more fairness to the negotiations.
Hire a Lawyer
You also might benefit by hiring a lawyer to help you through your inheritance battle, depending on your situation. Hopefully, if you’re able to settle things between the inheritors, you won’t need a lawyer to help you work things out. But if the inheritance paperwork hasn’t been done properly and legally, you might need the assistance of a lawyer to properly inherit possessions.
For example, if the inherited house hasn’t been included in the necessary legal documents, it will go to probate court for a time. Probate court can take months or years before you finally gain control of the assets. Having a lawyer on your side can help you to work through those complications.
Use a Mediator
If you find that the inheritors, or beneficiaries, are having difficulties resolving inheritance issues, you might want to hire a mediator. Your family members can all agree on hiring a mediator beforehand to facilitate agreements. Using a mediator in this process can help you to work out disputes between inheritors without ruining relationships. This can help you to better preserve the memory of your passed loved one while still taking care of inheritance issues. Talk to your family about the benefits of using a mediator if you’re worried about disputes.
So, if you’re working through an inheritance battle, remember these tips that will make the process less painful. Try to work out any issues between inheritors, hire a lawyer, and consider using a mediator to resolve any possible problems. This will help you to properly honor the memory of your passed loved one without causing strife in the inheritance battle.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Here’s more to read. How to Settle the Estate of a Passed Loved One
