QUESTION
can a sibling dispute how deceased parents spent money between the siblings and their children?
Asked on Mar 26th, 2017 on Family Law - New York
More details to this question:
My children are older and my parents gave them money for weddings, down payments for houses and some other larger things. My brother has teenage children and they did not spend as much on them. My brother now has access to their checking account and is furious about the disporportion between the two families and expects to be repaid by us or them for the difference. He is even threatening to sue them. We feel the way they spent their money was their business. Does he have any legal rights?
1 ANSWER
Civil Rights Law Attorney serving Rockville Centre, NY
Partner at
Lori Nevias, Attorney at Law
1 Award
You are correct- your parents were free to spend their money as they chose, and their residuary estate (the money and assets they left behind) must be distributed according to their wills, if they had any, or the laws of intestacy if not. Your brother can't have "access" to the checking account of deceased people- that is not how it works. Either he was appointed legal representative or he wasnt. I would be concerned if I were you that he's taking matters into his own hands to correct what he perceives as an injustice. You have a right to know, either way.
Answered on Mar 27th, 2017 at 7:09 AM