By: David M. Frees III & Steve Lagoy
An estate dispute can break out when the inheritors of a given decedent are unable to agree on the distribution of assets in the decedent’s estate. This can happen because there was no will, the will is being challenged, or the will did not incorporate all of the assets in the decedent’s estate.
In certain cases, estate disagreements can go all the way to litigation, and the parties involved may be forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, on court costs and attorney’s fees, not to mention that everyone may run the risk of fully severing the family bond.
For such cases, alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, can provide a reliable means of reaching an informal, non-binding plan with the assistance of an objective third party who will examine each side and provide fair recommendations based on the provable facts.
Families wishing to keep their affairs private also use mediation to solve estate and trust disputes because mediation, unlike a formal litigation, is a private matter rather than one of public record.
This is an appealing attribute for parties who wish to keep their dealings and disputes out of the public eye. Usually, there is no need for your friends and neighbors to be privy to private family matters such as distribution of an estate.
Anyone who is the beneficiary of a disputed trust or estate should consider leveraging the advantages of mediation over formal litigation. Although advanced estate planning can usually mitigate ugly disputes, these steps are not always taken and, as a result, unwanted conflicts occur.
Consult a Pennsylvania Mediation Attorney
Whether it’s collaborating with your tax advisors, assisting with the filing of Federal Estate and Gift Tax Returns and Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Returns, or providing services to facilitate the resolution of estate and trust administrations, our firm is dedicated to providing unparalleled and uncompromised service to our clients. Contact a Pennsylvania mediation and arbitration attorney for more information on how the Law Offices of Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees can help you. Call us today – 1-610-692-1371.
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