If your children have a difficult relationship now, it’s unlikely to improve when you’re gone. Estate disputes often bring out the worst in families.
Common flashpoints:
- Who gets sentimental items
- One child feeling they “deserve” more
- Old resentments resurfacing
- Disagreements over how to handle the estate
How your will can help:
- Be specific about who gets what — vague language causes fights
- Consider a professional executor (not one of the children)
- Don’t assume they’ll “sort it out fairly”
- Address sentimental items explicitly
What to avoid:
- Naming feuding children as co-executors
- Leaving everything to be “divided equally” without detail
- Assuming fairness means sameness
Consider this: The clearer your instructions, the less room for argument. Conflict usually grows in the gaps you leave.