All too often, people fight over inheritances. One child received more, or in a different way; one child received specific items that another wanted; parents assumed that the children would get along and left an asset that was supposed to be shared, and now no one wants to play nice.
We seem to be hardwired to fight, and predisposed to competition and conflict. The death of a loved one can trigger feelings of exclusion and anxiety, and make ordinary acts escalate into perceived rivalries.
If you aren’t leaving things precisely evenly, you should absolutely consider having a family meeting ahead of time so that everyone knows, right now, what is going to happen.
