High-value estates can be very vulnerable to fraud and undue influence. When someone has a significant amount of assets, bad actors may try to manipulate that individual to change their estate planning documents, putting their legacy at risk.
After someone passes away, estate representatives, beneficiaries, or third parties may also act in bad faith and try to get their hands on assets that don’t rightfully belong to them by taking steps like misappropriating estate assets or challenging valid estate plans.
The asset owner must take steps during their lifetime to protect their estate from fraud and undue influence. It’s also important for those left behind to ensure that assets go to their rightful heirs so the deceased person’s legacy is honored.
Albertson & Davidson, LLP can help in these difficult situations. Our Los Angeles estate litigation lawyers understand the most common types of fraud and undue influence that can affect estate plans governing high-value estates, and are here and ready to help.
Whether you need assistance creating a rock-solid estate plan during your lifetime or protecting assets after death, we can represent you. Give us a call or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation with a California probate and estate litigation lawyer to learn more.
Examples of estate fraud
Estate fraud can include:
- Forging documents such as a trust or will
- Forging the deceased person’s signature on estate planning documents
- Misrepresenting what the will or trust means and not following the wishes of the deceased
- Estate executors commingling estate assets with their own, hiding assets, undervaluing assets, or otherwise mismanaging estate assets or acting in their own best interests instead of the estate’s best interests
- Using a power of attorney designation to steal assets
These types of fraud can occur before or after death, and they can cause significant financial loss.
If you believe that your loved one’s estate has been affected by these types of fraud or undue influence, Albertson & Davidson, LLP can help you to challenge invalid documents, make a legal claim for breach of fiduciary duty, or otherwise take appropriate legal action under California law.
Examples of undue influence
Undue influence occurs when someone exerts pressure over a vulnerable individual and convinces them to make decisions about their estate that they otherwise would not have made.
Examples of undue influence can include:
- Isolating an elderly person from their relatives or loved ones and then convincing them to change their estate planning documents
- Threatening to withhold care from a vulnerable individual to convince them to change their estate plan
- Using guilt or other coercive techniques to convince a vulnerable person to change their estate plan
How can you protect a high-value estate from fraud and undue influence?
The best ways to protect a high-value estate from fraud and undue influence include:
- Working with an experienced probate attorney in Los Angeles to create an estate plan and to review documents on a set schedule or when major life changes occur
- Ensuring a trusted person is monitoring the condition of the vulnerable individual, especially towards the end of their life
- Raising questions about last-minute changes to estate documents near the end of a person’s life
- Looking for common red flags that could suggest undue influence or fraud, such as unexplained financial transactions or isolation of the estate owner
- Working with a forensic accountant to find missing assets or to correctly estimate the value of estate assets
If you spot any of these red flags, Albertson & Davidson, LLP can help you to step in, take action, and challenge any changes to the estate plans that may have been prompted by fraud or undue influence
Contact a California probate and estate litigation lawyer today
Albertson & Davidson, LLP has extensive experience helping clients when there are questions of fraud or undue influence in high-value estates. To find out more about how our legal team can help you, give us a call or contact us online today.