My smug sister says I was cut out of Mom’s will. Should I accept that?
DEAR ABBY: My mother passed away recently. She suffered from dementia and was a cancer survivor, but she lived well into her 80s.
It was difficult for me to witness her mental decline when I spoke to her on the phone or visited her occasionally in the nursing home. She lived near my sister, so my sister had a much closer relationship with her than I did.
Mom met with my sister and me several years ago to discuss her estate planning. Both of us were included as beneficiaries, as well as Mom’s second husband.
My sister has just informed me that, three years ago, Mom replaced the existing living trust with a new one making her the sole beneficiary. She smugly claimed that she was always there for Mother and that I was an absentee child.
I was stunned to learn this while still recovering from the loss of my mother. I contacted a trust attorney, who told me I could contest the new trust on the grounds that Mother had dementia when it was prepared and that my sister may have coerced her to make her the sole beneficiary.
If I pursue a lawsuit, it will undoubtedly drive a wedge between my family and my sister’s family. On the other hand, doing nothing does not seem fair to my family. Please let me know what you think I should do.
— SON IN CALIFORNIA
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