Paula and Maureen

Paula and Maureen are sisters in their 50s, with very different personalities and value systems. Their mother, divorced and now deceased, was an extremely affluent woman. However, she was not receptive to any family discussion about estate planning techniques or the dissemination of her assets. Unfortunately, as she aged, she struggled with dementia and depression. By default, Paula became the designated caretaker, as she lived in the home with her mother where she had been raised. Maureen was occupied with her career and her own family and stayed to the sidelines, assuming Paula was agreeable to this responsibility.

When their mother died, she left a substantially higher percentage of her assets to Paula. There was no explanation of the reasoning for this in their mother’s will. Paula felt guilty, and Maureen felt hurt and betrayed. The sisters bickered during the next 2 years of the estate distribution. Each one blamed the other for the inequity of the asset distribution. The issues remained unresolved, and their seemingly solid relationship deteriorated. To this day, they remain estranged.