CONTROLLING FAMILY MEMBERS

Question: One of my children is trying to control me and trying to get me to leave everything to her. I want to provide for all my children. What should I do?
  Answer:   First, there are two points you should always keep in mind: No one is “entitled” to an inheritance. It is YOUR CHOICE as to whom and to what extent you want to leave an inheritance.You are not required to discuss your estate planning with anyone and it is okay to tell them that they need not concern themselves with it (i. e. it’s none of their business).   It can be a serious concern when an heir (or any person for that matter) causes you to perceive them as controlling. This is often an indication that the person is attempting to influence and exploit you. We have seen instance after instance where the older generation is treated as a pile of money to be taken advantage of in both life and death.   The best way to protect yourself from this type of situation is to develop an effective estate plan that carries out the distribution of your property on your death as you truly want it to be distributed, and in a manner that is most efficient from a time and expense standpoint.   There are a number of issues that come into play when you are attempting to meet this goal. How can I skip probate court? How can I leave property in a manner that minimizes the likelihood there will be an effective legal challenge? Is my goal to protect my spouse or significant other as they advance in age or to provide an inheritance for children or other family members; or both? These are but a few of those questions. At Arizona Mobile Attorneys we can help you work through these problems and come up with an estate plan that addresses the issues particular to your estate plan.