Beware the family row at Christmas that can change inheritance decisions
Beware the family row at Christmas that can change inheritance decisions
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Family rows at Christmas can change inheritance decisions and turn into long-running legal disputes. One in five people would disinherit a family member based on a falling out, and one in three would exclude a relative from their will because they didn’t like them, research reveals.
One in six would also write someone out of a will because they did not visit them enough, and one in four if they had isolated themselves from their family, according to the poll by Lime Solicitors. Christmas might be the merriest time of year, but with extended family coming together it can also be the perfect time for feuds, cautions the firm.
Debra Burton, partner in inheritance disputes at Lime, says: 'The most common reason people exclude relatives from their will is due to personal feelings and animosity. > Find tips on preventing family fallouts over inheritance below. Disinheriting a family member: Rows, personal animosity and failure to visit can lead to relatives being written out of wills.
'With so many family members coming together in close proximity, Christmas celebrations can often bring unresolved tensions to the surface,' says Burton. 'If these tensions develop into something more serious, those who have written a will may decide to disinherit family members.'.
Lime's survey also found that almost half of people would contest a will if they were excluded from it, turning a falling out into a more entrenched legal dispute after someone dies. It polled 1,000 people aged 16 and over, weighted to be representative of the UK population.
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