The Gormley Law Office is pleased to present this series of posts about estate litigation!

We’ve shared a lot of great information on the mechanics of probate in Washington, DC and probate in Maryland. In this series, we’re talking more about the types of situations that might lead to estate litigation.

It’s no surprise that there are so many television shows and movies featuring someone dying, usually with a lot of money, and involving unscrupulous people. Often, these stories capture the public’s attention for months at a time, especially if one of the parties involved is a celebrity or was well-known for another reason.

There are many situations in which it makes sense to file a lawsuit over an estate. For the purposes of this series, we’re using the term “estates litigation” which means we file lawsuits related to probate estates.

Some examples of situations that may lead to estate litigation include:

– A caregiver who spent a lot of time with your parent and had a lot of influence over your parent is given a large sum of money or property in a will or a trust. Your parent didn’t tell you about the change, and you only found out about the change after your parent’s death. Your parent previously had expressed different wishes or intention for the money or property.

– Your parents owned a family business that they started together and that became successful. Your Mom passed away, and your Dad remarried a much younger woman who suddenly begins leading an extravagant lifestyle. Your parents had an estate plan and your parents expressed their intentions for passing their assets onto you and your siblings, but suddenly you’re not so sure there will be anything left of your inheritance.

– Your Dad named your brother as Personal Representative of his estate. Your Dad wanted you to have a specific property because it had been in the family for a very long time. However, your sibling meets with a real estate agent and makes plans to sell the property, even though your Dad told you the property was supposed to be yours after he passed away.

These are just a few examples of the types of situations that happen in families when someone passes away. You might be dealing with a similar situation in which you think it’s best to intervene. In our next article, we’ll discuss inheritance theft and how to prevent it.

In the meantime, if you need help with probate or estate dispute, call The Gormley Law Office today at 1.240.514.2358! We are a full service probate and estate firm and we can help with estate planning, trusts, and estate litigation.

Probate, Estate Planning and Real Estate Attorney
Brian Gormley, Esq. is an attorney licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia specializing in real estate, probate, estate litigation and other matters. If you need assistance, please use the Contact Feature at the bottom of this page.