Quote:
Originally Posted by KittyKat
My friend is having a problem with one of her children who wants to see her will. She does not want the child to see it. The will was drawn up by a local elder-care attorney. There has been friction with the child and she believes the child just wants to see if he/she is in the will, not to make sure all her interests were taken care of. Her estate is very, very small. I told her that I don't think a child has a right to see a will before the parent's death. It's up to the parent. What are your thoughts?
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My mother gave all of her children a copy of her will.
Perhaps the adult child can be told the basics of the will, to put her mind at ease....???
If one child is the executor or executrix, there "might" be hard feelings among other siblings.
Wills made in earlier years may no longer represent the true assets left at the time of death of a loved one......(for many reasons.)
I like the below article on how "Inheriting property does not always bring out the best in family members.........."
AVOIDING FAMILY DISPUTES:
""Inheriting property does not always bring out the best in family members. Many people, of course, handle everything smoothly, following a loved one's instructions as much as they can and peacefully agreeing on the rest. But a death can raise long-dormant relationships issues and revive old jealousies and resentments.
Probably the one element most likely to provoke bad feelings is surprise. If everyone in the family knows the broad outlines of how you're planning to leave your property, they may understand your choices. Even if they don't, they will have had some time to get used to the idea and air their concerns. They are likely to respect your choices, and not try to undermine them informally or through a lawsuit.
If, on the other hand, your estate plan takes everyone by surprise, there could be confusion, argument, and possibly court fights. Say, for example, an elderly man leaves the lion's share of his estate to a charity or to a caregiver who recently arrived on the scene, or a woman leaves a valuable piece of art not to her children but favors a niece who wasn't known to be particularly close to her. If the children knew that the niece had a special connection to the artwork, or that the caregiver had performed extraordinary services, they wouldn't be left to wonder at the fairness of the bequests.
Even more common is the hurt caused by an unequal division of assets among offspring. Most parents leave their property to their children more or less equally, but there can be many good reasons for a different plan--perhaps one child has problems handling money, or already received an "advance" on his inheritance in the form of a gift. As long as the children all understand the reasoning, they are likely to accept your decisions. After all, it's your money.""
Everyone needs a will.......a lot of us could help our families by creating simple living trusts also. Here are the tools you need to get your estate planning started by creating these documents & others.
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/avoiding-family-disputes
PLEASE SEE OTHER SUBJECTS ( re various hyperlinks) Nolo.com
http://www.nolo.com/products/wills-trusts
Click hyperlink; then keep scrolling to the bottom for various types of software for wills.......or trusts.