Family battles over an estate in New York may develop into drawn-out litigations, bitter feelings and overwhelming stress for individuals who are also grieving from the loss of a loved one. At Busson & Sikorski, P.C., we understand the impact of your grief and that you may have a legal right to ownership of estate property.
It is not uncommon for a disagreement to arise over property intended by the deceased to transfer to you. When a family conflict escalates to a dispute that comes close to the point of exhaustion, however, attempting to settle matters out of court may help to resolve the conflicting issues.
Out-of-court discussions between feuding heirs and their legal representation may lead to a reasonable outcome and avoid a heated battle before a judge. When a sudden death tragically occurs, heirs may experience a difficult grieving process and say or do things that might not have transpired if proper estate planning were in place. The flare-up of hostilities does not necessarily rule out the possibility of coming to a mutually-agreeable resolution. A satisfactory outcome for all parties may remain negotiable.
After the sudden death of a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame singer and songwriter, his widow and his two daughters from a prior marriage found themselves in a heated estate battle. The high-profile dispute covered by the news media featured stories of the musician’s heirs fighting over the rights to his estate.
As reported by USA Today, the back-and-forth assertions between the feuding parties, although having generated some acrimonious comments, nonetheless resulted in an agreement supporting equal standing in the deceased’s estate. An announcement released by the formerly feuding parties expressed regret over the actions taken “that were hurtful to one another.”
Our page on estate disputes provides more information about your legal rights in resolving a will or trust matter.