Equity Trustees managing the dispute resolution process from start to finish

When Henry died suddenly leaving behind a modest estate, most of his family thought it would be an easy enough process to sort out Henry’s affairs according to his Will. But they didn’t factor in a dispute.

Henry’s assets when he died consisted only of his two-bedroom unit in an outer Melbourne suburb and a bank account with a small balance.

He left behind three adult children from two different relationships and he had gifted his entire estate to only one of them – his daughter from his second marriage.

In this case, the responsibility of administering the estate and concluding Henry’s affairs fell to Equity Trustees, which Henry had appointed as executor in his Will instead of appointing a family member or a friend.
 
As executor, it was up to Equity Trustees to manage the dispute that ensued as the two children not mentioned challenged Henry’s Will and made a claim for part of the estate.

It meant managing the dispute resolution process from start to finish, liaising with all relevant parties (solicitors, claimants, beneficiaries) to reach a resolution several months later. The resolution included Henry’s first two children ultimately receiving a small part of the estate.

Read more about appointing an executor and what happens during estate management on our website at www.eqt.com.au/executorservices