Quote:
Originally Posted by jctrolex
I've seen family members fight over the stupidest little things from their parents and refuse to talk to each other for decades. It's a funny thing about inheritance a lot of times is not about the size of the estate, it's about emotions and long buried feelings. The littlest things like dads old hunting rifle or moms tea cups can fester into World War III.
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You have actually touched on the two things that this thread is actually about for me.
First, having a family heirloom as a keepsake is important to me, as well as to the functional members of my family. The value is not monetary. I carry my Grandfather's money clip (of little to no value), as a touchstone to his character and all that he did for his family. He has been gone more than 20 years, and I think about his kind wisdom, patience, and courage every time I use the money clip.
Second, I have family members, many long gone, who behaved horribly over estate entitlements, and it makes me sad for them. Having valued items assigned is part of avoiding or minimizing that. I promise nothing to my sons verbally. They will have to wait until the executor reads the will to know if they get anything. I, and they, do not believe in entitlements.
My estate will be evenly divided between my Sons, and assigned down to everything short of pocket lint.