Ok, so this has nothing to do with life or death here in Georgia. BUT, it does offer a prime example of why you should never die without a will. Read on:
According to a news story from the UK, the widow of a millionaire businessman is suing her own children (ages 1 and 3) over her husband’s fortune. He died without a will, leaving an estate worth £2,231,201. Under the intestacy laws in the United Kingdom, his wife is entitled to £125,000 and the rest of the assets will go to the children. There also seems to be another family member involved who may be trying to gain from the will financially, and it may be that the widow/mother is suing her children to protect their assets from this other person.
It is unlikely that the husband/father ever intended for his estate to cause such a litigation mess. Unfortunately, with just a little planning, all of it could have been prevented.
Regardless of how much money or property you have, a will is much too easy not to prepare. This one simple document can prevent conflicts you may not even be aware of between family members. And instead of assuming how your money and property will be divided between your family, you will know for certain. Now that is peace of mind!
