During times of grief, family members in Georgia often react in ways that are unexpected. For some, the death of a loved one pushes people apart during a time that should bring people together. Such conflict often complicates the estate administration and probate process, especially if there is no estate plan in place.
Two out-of-state sisters were recently able to resolve a dispute over the estate of a third sister. Although the woman passed away in September, her body remains awaiting cremation months after her funeral was held. As a result of the resolution, the woman’s body is expected to be cremated within the week.
One of the sisters filed papers a month after the woman’s passing, asking that the court name a person of her choosing to serve as administrator of the estate and claiming a portion of the estate. The second sister filed an appeal soon after, requesting the she be named administrator and also claiming a portion of the estate. Although the deceased woman was known to have a great deal of political power in San Francisco, it was widely believed that she had relatively little wealth. However, court documents revealed that her estate was worth approximately $650,000.
Even the closest of family members can experience conflict with it comes to the division of a loved one’s estate. In order to prevent such strife, many people in Georgia create an estate plan detailing how they wish for their estate to be divided. By doing so, estate administration and probate process can be eased for surviving loved ones.
Source: sfgate.com, “Dispute over Rose Pak’s remains settled“, J.K. Dineen, Dec. 17, 2016
