Many times families are spread out over large geographic areas, and as a result, may lose touch over the years.  Sometimes, an aging parent may come into the care of one of several children for no reason other than the parent lives in the same town and the other children are distant.  As many will tell you, caring for an aged or ailing parent can be hard work, particularly when the parent comes to live in the spare bedroom or den for a period of years.  Most parents wish to see their estate pass equally to all their children, because they love their children equally, but may feel it unfair when they have been a particular burden on one of several of their children.   When this happens, the parent may wish to provide in their will or trust special testamentary gifts to the care taking child designed only to ensure that fairness prevails.  But what the parent thinks is only fair may strike the other children as unfair, or even, as fraudulent, and this can lead to court battles and hurt feelings, even permanent damage to family relationships.  Although there is no way to guarantee that such problems can be avoided, steps can be taken to minimize them by proactive action designed to minimize the likelihood of a court battle or hurt feelings. 

If you have questions about what can be done to avoid problems caused by special compensation for parental care, please feel free to give us a call at (858) 259-7790 or contact us online.