Anatomy of a trust conflict
Most family conflicts are not about money — they're about feeling unseen, unheard, or unequally valued. Trustees who treat communication as a primary duty (not an afterthought) dramatically reduce litigation risk.
Use scheduled check-ins, written summaries after major decisions, and, when stakes are high, a neutral facilitator or mediator before positions harden into lawsuits.
Example
A 20-minute call before distributing a vacation home — to acknowledge each sibling's feelings — often prevents a 2-year lawsuit.