Need legal advice for contested will
The recent passing of my father has led to awful arguments in my family over how his estate should be divided. I cannot afford to hire a lawyer to sort out the will but am desperate to find a way to settle this. Any suggestions?
Auntie’s answer: Your question points to one of those unfortunate universal truths – that one of the issues most fought about in families is money. Everyone can be united and supportive as they deal with a terminally ill parent, but once the worst happens, the worst traits of the family members all too often start to come out. It is a terrible thing to experience and if the will is contested, the infighting can continue for a very long and expensive time. At the end of the process there might be a “winner” and “loser” but many times the lawyers benefit the most.
I am sorry that I cannot offer you a specific answer to your problem but I can suggest a place to begin to search for some degree of resolution. Your first stop certainly needs to be to try to obtain some sort of legal advice and there is a free service you can access. Every Tuesday, the Family Resource Centre offers a walk-in Legal Befrienders Service. From 5pm-6:30pm anyone can show up at their office on Shedden Road in the Compass Building and wait to see a lawyer on a first-come, first-served basis. As long as you walk in the door before 6:30pm, they will try their best to accommodate everyone.
Attorneys from several law firms take turns volunteering at the clinic to answer your questions. You will be given one-on-one time with the attorney. I believe you will be given all the time you need, though everyone should be aware that there other people waiting to consult with the lawyer.
If you can’t make it in person, you can call 945-8869 every Tuesday from 5pm-7pm to speak to a lawyer on the phone.
I want to stress again, and therefore am devoting its own paragraph to this fact: the service is absolutely free so, as they say, it’s a bargain at twice the price.
Bear in mind, however, that the attorneys are only there to advise, arm you with information and point you in appropriate directions. They cannot take on your case or represent you in any way.
Among the legal issues, including yours, open for discussion at the legal clinic are domestic violence, divorce and immigration. This is a great service and the Family Resource Centre, as well as the lawyers who volunteer, should be commended for providing this help.
Category: Ask Auntie
Either the estate is worth spending money on to sort it out or it isn’t. Never have any sympathy for those that have such high class problems.
Where there is a will, there is a way.