How to Deal with an Estranged Child in Your Estate Plan

Sowards Law Firm

Unfortunately, not all families get along. If you are having problems with one of your children, you may not want them to benefit from your estate. There are several strategies for dealing with an estranged child in your estate plan.

Depending on the level of estrangement and the reasons for the estrangement, the following are the main approaches for treating a child differently in your estate plan:

Outright disinheritance. If you really do not want your child to receive anything from you, you can fully disinherit the child. To be safe, even if you are leaving a child nothing, you should specifically mention the child in the will and state that you are disinheriting him or her; failing to do so could make it easier for him or her to challenge the will. (You also need to specify whether you are disinheriting that child’s children, too.)

Disinheriting a child comes with a risk: He or she may contest the will in court, which can cost your estate time and money. There are steps you can take to try preventing a will contest, including making sure your will is properly executed, writing a letter to the estranged child to explain your reasoning, and removing any appearance of undue influence. Keep in mind, however, that nothing is foolproof.

Smaller inheritance. If you don’t want to disinherit your child entirely or wish to make it less likely the estranged child will contest the will, you may want to leave them an inheritance that is smaller than the amount you leave to other beneficiaries. Leaving a child, a reduced inheritance may prevent him or her from contesting the will, especially if you include a no-contest clause (also called an “in terrorem clause”) in the will. A no-contest clause provides that if an heir challenges the will and loses, then he or she will get nothing. You must leave the heir enough so that a challenge is not worth the risk of losing the inheritance.

Put the inheritance in a trust. If the reason you do not want to leave your child an inheritance is because you are worried about how they will use the money, you can leave the child’s inheritance in a testamentary trust. You can provide instructions to the trustee on when and how the trustee should disburse the funds in the trust. For example, you can instruct the trustee to disburse the money in small increments or only if the child meets certain conditions, like staying drug- or alcohol-free or working a full-time job.

Figuring out how to treat an estranged child in your estate plan is complicated and emotional. As Leo Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Sowards Law Firm at (408) 371-6000 or info@SowardsLawFirm.com.

Client Reviews

I recently had the pleasure of working with Sowards Law Firm to create my estate plan, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the experience. My company has a legal help portal where I discovered Sowards Law Firm, and I’m so glad I chose them. From the start, the entire process was incredibly smooth...

Prashant Joshi

They made it pretty easy for us to set up the legal entity we needed. Everyone we talked to was knowledgeable, professional, and considerate. We had to work around a difficult schedule, and the folks at Sowards made it work.

John Brawn

Everyone at Sowards Law Firm was extremely kind, helpful, and professional in helping me manage all of the legal work required after my husband passed away. They explained everything clearly, and focused on what would be the best options for me in the future. I’m grateful for their assistance and...

Lyn Savage

I have been working with Sowards Law Firm for all my estate needs and their service is impeccable, with the upmost professionalism. They walk you through scenarios in detail so that you can make informed decisions. I highly recommend this team.

Debra A

They made it SO EASY! Everything was explained and explored in regards to figuring out how to organize and structure. Very thoughtful and thorough. I will definitely recommend them, and have sent all of my clients their info to get their affairs in order.

Cindy Selleos

I used Sowards for my Estate planning needs. The firm provided excellent advice, and made the process very easy to complete in an expeditious manner. Each person that I interacted with was professional, friendly and competent. I have confidence that this multi-generational law practice is a solid...

Karen Bryant

Contact Us

  1. 1 Free Consultation
  2. 2 Available 24/7
  3. 3 Certified Specialists in Estate Planning

Fill out the contact form or call us at (408) 371-6000 to schedule your free consultation.

Leave Us a Message