ARTICLE · 12 NOVEMBER 2024

5 Tips For Avoid Sibling Disputes When You Die

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

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When a parent dies, sibling relationships can become strained, often resurfacing old childhood wounds and resentments. Grief can aggravate unresolved issues, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.

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When a parent dies, sibling relationships can become strained, often resurfacing old childhood wounds and resentments. Grief can aggravate unresolved issues, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. To minimize the likelihood of such disputes, it's essential to take proactive steps during your lifetime and when drafting your will. Here are five tips to help reduce the likelihood of sibling disputes after your death.

1. Don't wait to act

Gift property beforehand. If your estate includes real property that's hard to divide or valued differently by your children, consider transferring ownership or setting up joint tenancies while alive. For example, one child may want to buy out siblings' shares of the family farm but not the lake property, or a child involved in the family business may opt to inherit the business as their share of the estate.

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