Will & Inheritance Disputes

 

Therefore, we’ve put together some guidance to help you understand why these disputes happen, some effective ways to deal with them, how to achieve a resolution and successful ways to prevent family disputes in the future. 

The first step to navigating family disputes is understanding why they may happen. This can often help to reduce later conflict and can help you see a clearer path towards resolution. The most common causes of inheritance disputes between family members include: 

 

• Disagreements over the way assets have been distributed 

• Being left out of a will 

• Dying without a Will 

• Claims of undue influence 

• Challenges to the validity of the Will 

• Remarriage and cohabitation 

• Blended families 

• Inheritance tax issues 

Whilst navigating inheritance disputes between family members can be highly emotional and can often feel impossible, there are a few steps that can be taken to help resolve some conflict. These include: 

 

1. Seek legal advice – Seeking expert legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in inheritance law as soon as possible can be vital in helping address and resolve problems before they escalate. 

 

2. Communication – open communication when going through family disputes can be crucial. Taking time and listening to each other’s perspectives can very often be an effective way to ensure every family member feels their wishes are heard. This can not only help diffuse any ongoing conflict but can also increase your chances of finding common ground. 

 

3. Mediation – Mediation is a common method of settling inheritance disputes and allows the parties involved to discuss both of their wishes with a neutral third-party (the mediator) and hopefully come to an agreement. This method of negotiation is not only a lot more cost effective but can help preserve the relationships between the family members involved in the dispute. 

 

4. Try and gain some perspective – Prioritising and remembering the importance of your family’s well-being and the grief you all share, can be essential in helping you see the bigger picture and can bring about a quicker resolution. 

 

5. Check a Claim – Before you even consider making a claim, check out our webpage on this where you can complete a form provided by our partners, IDR Law  

 

If you are unhappy with your share of inheritance, and want to learn whether you can challenge the current arrangements, this free tool can help you understand the legal issues around these disputes in just a few minutes, and will give you an instant answer to whether anything can be done to resolve your situation.