Trustee dispute sparks sibling war

SAFEGUARDING a family’s inheritance did the opposite when it turned into a toxic legacy with the siblings turning on each other over the spoils.

- By MAISHA FROST

A trust was at the heart of the strife Pauline Phillips was experiencing, she told Crusader.

Within this arrangement is the deed which sets out the trust’s terms, who benefits and the assets.

Pauline’s parents had set one up on the advice of their solicitor.

But instead confusion, about who should lead and manage the trust after both parents died, has plunged the trio into a bitter feud. “I’m on the brink of bankruptcy,” Pauline, 76 and disabled, explained.

According to Roman Kubiak, partner and will, inheritance and trust disputes specialist at law firm Hugh James, the turmoil engulfing her is a classic example of a well-meant trust deed lacking forethought about future realities.