When settling a parent’s estate, the divvying up of the the tangible items often bedevils family members with children arguing about who gets the Thanksgiving soup tureen, a wedding ring, or the power tools. Items that could be bought at yard sales for pennies can have immense sentimental value and be the source of unending conflict. Thanks to Greg Clayton of Clayton Mediation, who is a skilled and experienced mediator of probate and other disputes, for recommending the Left Behind episode of Ira Glass’s NPR show “This American Life.” It opens with a very entertaining segment about the children of accomplished parents who devise with the help of an accounting firm a complex set of rules for addressing these issues. It is a fun listen and will sound familiar to counsel who have helped clients work through these difficult issues.
(Note: Ralph Holmes is currently retired from McLane Middleton. For information on this or other probate litigation issues, please contact Alexandra Cote at alexandra.cote@mclane.com.)