Litigation-proofing your estate

Gerry Beyer over at the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog posted a link the other day to an article by Ashlea Ebeling called “10 ways to lawsuit-proof your estate”. She goes through some very common-sense tips, such as treating siblings equally, keeping track of loans and gifts, getting your own lawyer and definitively deciding who is to get which specific item (such as jewellery or other family heirlooms). While some of Ashlea’s advice is specific to her state (for example, in Ontario, a stepchild is not treated equally to a blood child unless the stepchild has been adopted), it is very useful information.