Several factors can lead to inheritance disputes, including:<\/p>\n
An inheritance dispute can occur if a family member wasn\u2019t included in the will or felt another member was favored over the others. This often happens among siblings if there\u2019s a feeling that each one did not receive equal benefits from the estate or if one was left out.<\/p>\n
If the deceased doesn\u2019t have a will, their estate is divided based on intestacy rules \u2014 rules set by the state on how to distribute assets. Typically, the laws of succession apply \u2014 the deceased\u2019s spouse will inherit or any children will inherit equally if there is no spouse. But, this can lead to problems in situations where a relative who helped with the deceased or was close to the deceased believes they should be a beneficiary but isn\u2019t due to the intestacy rules.<\/p>\n
Family dynamics can get complicated. When a parent remarries, the new spouse and their children can sometimes be the beneficiaries instead of the children from the deceased\u2019s first family.<\/p>\n
Changes in family dynamics can lead to disputes. For instance, if a family member had a falling out with the deceased, but the will was never changed, they will still inherit. This can cause disputes since some family members may feel like they would have inherited if the will had been updated.<\/p>\n
Sometimes people will have a will, but over the years, their wishes change. However, if they don\u2019t update the will, the outdated will is still used even if they expressed different wishes verbally before death.<\/p>\n
A will dispute can occur if the will isn\u2019t valid because it doesn\u2019t comply with the state\u2019s requirements.<\/p>\n