Inheritance is a tense subject for many Minnesota families. Children often have different ideas of what they will be receiving from their parents than what their parents have intended. Many times, parents wish to leave their children uneven amounts of their inheritance.
If parents wish to leave an unequal estate plan to their children they should understand that there is the possibility of it causing problems. There are a few unique situations in which leaving an unequal inheritance makes sense. One instance is in the case where there is a family business. One child may be left the entire business while the other children may have the other assets divided equally among them. Another occasion would be if one of the children had been a primary caregiver for a parent. The child may have put their lives on hold to care for their parent and giving more to that caregiver can make sense. Typically children with disabilities are set up with a trust that controls the child’s money and allows them to qualify for Medicaid. Other siblings are typically okay with an uneven distribution in this case, as they won’t feel the pressure to financially support them.
Rather than letting an unequal inheritance cause a fight among siblings, a legal professional who is skilled in probate litigation can help a family who is facing inheritance issues. An attorney that has experience dealing with these delicate matters can help a family work through their differences while minimizing the potential damage and emotional turmoil.