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Sentimental estate disputes 

On Behalf of | Oct 3, 2024 | ESTATE PLANNING

Many estate disputes are practical in nature. Maybe they just revolve around money. Two siblings don’t feel that the estate’s funds were split up properly and they get into a dispute over who should receive more.

In cases like this, there may be a simple solution. Financial accounts can be divided based on how many people want to receive a share. Some tangible assets, like a car or a house, could be sold, and then the money could be divided. There are ways to solve these practical disputes and distribute assets. 

But in other cases, the disputes revolve around sentimental assets. This can make things a bit more complex.

The problem with sentimental value

Items with sentimental value often don’t have financial value. Someone may just want a book they remember from their childhood, a painting from their parents’ living room or a set of china that they used on special occasions.

Selling these items doesn’t solve the dispute. First of all, selling a family heirloom means that no one in the family gets to keep it, so it is simply not a viable solution. On top of that, the item doesn’t have much financial value, so it may be difficult or impossible to sell it and divide the earnings.

This can lead to protracted disputes where someone will always feel like they didn’t get what they deserved. Even if the financial value of all the assets is exactly the same between the two siblings, one of them may always feel that they didn’t get the item with sentimental value that they really wanted.

This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to make an estate plan, and it’s also why family members need to understand their legal options if a dispute arises.