Many believe that having an estate plan would ensure that your estate would be going over to your intended heirs. But with the rising cases of inheritance thefts, there is no surety that the circumstances will be as you wish them to be. Inheritance theft is a very insidious and underreported problem occurring massively that can cost families immensely. As this is the occurrence within the family, not only is money lost but also relationships are affected at the worse.
To prevent this from happening within your family, it is always wise to hire succession lawyers who will efficiently deal with the actions to protect your heirs and the assets. Here is how you can do this.
Appoint a minimum of two executors for your estate
When you are thinking about hiring executors, make sure they are two in number. You need to make sure that one of those two executors is a non-family professional and belong to institutions like trust companies, financial planning organizations, or is an attorney themselves. This is the best way to ensure that your executor is not going to take advantage of their position or conduct inheritance thefts.
Discuss the estate plan with the entire family and the attorneys
The entire family should know about your estate plans and do not forget to involve the attorney in the same. This will prevent your family to circumvent your planning and take advantage of the position. Having your attorney present will be a beneficial witness who can stand against any future misdeeds. Though this seems to be a very sticky idea in the beginning, in the later stages, this is how you can prevent resentment and misunderstanding from occurring.
Put a statement of disclosure on your will
With the help of your attorney, put a statement of disclosure that can initiate the executor to disclose all the required details. On disclosure of factors like estate expenses, assets, and financial transfers, the executor will not be in a position to forge your will. They cannot hide any misappropriation or theft.
How would you protect yourself?
It is normally very costly to fight inheritance theft and prove in court about the hijacking. Hence, consult an attorney who specializes in the field and can uptake your case and prevent forgery.
In this regard, the avocat droit de succession Litvack Dessureault LLP is the best choice.