A BIG BLUNDER MADE BY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES

DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE IF YOU ARE A PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Today I’d like to talk about one of the biggest blunders that personal representatives make, which is a lack of communication. For some reason, most of the phone calls that I receive from folks who are looking at contesting a will or removing the personal representative has to do with a lack of communication.

This is the typical call. Hi Guy. I’ve reached out to my brother or my sister or my aunt or my uncle, the person who is handling the estate. I asked him or her what’s going on with the assets. I asked him or her for information about the estate and they don’t respond to me. When personal representatives don’t respond to heirs and beneficiaries, the beneficiaries start believing that the personal representative is doing something wrong, otherwise why wouldn’t they share the information. The beneficiaries start to get suspicious.

This is why it’s very important when you are a personal representative to contact the heirs, the beneficiaries, let them know what’s happening. If you have a house that’s up for sale, let them know about any potential offers that are out there. Let them know if you haven’t had any offers.  Let them know how the process of the sale is going on.

You have the final authority of whether to sell the house or not, however, it’s a good practice to keep the beneficiaries involved if they want to be involved.

Communication  or the perceived lack of communication is the number one reason why  families start fighting over estate s. The way to stop these issues before they happen is a little communication. Keep the lines of communications open, keep the beneficiaries up to date, and the process will be a lot easier.

If you have any questions about a Northwest Indiana estate or probate matter contact Guy DiMartino Law at (219) 690-8997.