People are generally aware of mediation for small claims and divorce, but many aren't aware that mediation can really benefit people involved in planning or executing a personal estate. One person's death usually affects many others that remain.
You may have heard horror stories about siblings involved in closing the estate of a loved one, or worse yet, you may have been one of those siblings. I feel your pain. When my parents passed, things weren't easy and that was before they got really ugly. Unfortunately, we didn't have a good mediator to help us through the process and those relationships are damaged forever. In hindsight, I can safely say that much of it was caused because we were all grieving and taking it out in the process because the issues had already been set out by our parents before they passed. The point being, we made it much harder than it had to be because we couldn't communicate. Sadly, our experience is all too common.
You're Not Alone
It is extremely common to have conflict during times of estate planning, not to mention when they are being executed after the death of a loved one. At these times intimate issues come up with a rare perspective of intensity and finality. Often people experience emotions that can cloud their ability to effectively deal with the logistics required when closing a loved one's estate.
People have so many feelings and questions at these times. Do these sound familiar? How am I supposed to sort through this stuff when I can't focus? Why is she getting more than me? Didn't mom love me as much as her? Why did the step-kids get left out of the will? What will happen to all of us now? I deal with this stuff I have to actually acknowledge that dad is gone! Help?
At these times, mediation is a fantastic forum to help people process, communicate, prioritize, and finalize agreements. More importantly, using mediation helps people salvage relationships that can be irreparably damaged, especially if the glue that held your family together is gone. We invite you to contact us at blendmediation.com to get more information and support.