A Seamless Transition

Abstract

<p>We have all seen—or heard about—family disputes over assets at the deaths of one or both parents. My experience with my own family, dating back to 1950, convinced me that this is undoubtedly the most important issue in a generation and can lead to a level of estrangement that is difficult to overcome. Hardly a week goes by that I am not consulted about disputes that are grounded in differences that arise over division of property. No one likes to talk about death, and yet there are few other happenings that carry the weight of property division in the minds of the heirs. In recent years, I have recommended, strongly, that a series of family conferences be convened to discuss what the parents have in mind. We must remember that parents, as the property owners, have the final say on what happens at death.1</p>