Conflicts often happen within families over wills for various reasons. Of course, no one wants them to happen, but is there anything a person can do to stop them?
While it is impossible to fully stop any potential conflict, it is possible to reduce the chances of them happening.
Reducing miscommunication
Forbes talks about ways to reduce this conflict over wills. One of the biggest suggestions involves communication, as this is where a large number of conflicts start.
Miscommunication often lends itself to people misunderstanding the intent behind a will. When it comes to siblings who may have a history of rivalry, these misunderstandings may grow quickly if left unchecked.
Thus, it is important to schedule a discussion to dispel any potential misunderstandings before they get out of hand.
Preparing a proper discussion
Never launch a conversation about estate planning or wills out of nowhere. Always schedule it in advance and give the people involved plenty of time and opportunity to decide how they want to prepare for such a talk. These days, many people have taken to holding estate planning dinners, where end-of-life plans get discussed together over a meal.
When having this discussion, it is important to make things as clear as possible and to open the floor to questions. This is the best and fastest way to both identify potential misunderstandings that exist and deal with them.
Of course, it is impossible to predict every source of disagreement or make every single person happy with every aspect of a will. But this communication can go a long way in dissuading major disagreements.
