Protection - Defense

It is very hard to protect an inheritance from determined, well placed criminals who are trained in these tactics. They know the law and your elderly loved one believes everything they are telling them.

If the estate is large and organized crime is involved, recognize their reach is far and deep.

Here are steps you can take:

• Keep all key documents in a safe deposit box or store copies of them secretly. (We had important estate files stolen from our offices despite a sophisticated security system.)

• Spend lots of wonderful, high quality time with your loved ones, take nothing for granted. Be the perfect child or relative they want. Always be kind and gracious.  Your time together is limited.

• Encourage them to talk about their estate plans, involve yourself in their process as appropriate. Keep copies of everything in a safe place.

• Be wary of anyone who has regular access to them who might secretly intend to exert undue influence or profit from their infirmities.

• Use misunderstandings as reasons to visit them. Wrap rifts in love, heal them. Resolve difficulties in your relationship quickly.

Your major loss will be your relationship with your loved ones. This, we know from experience, is devastating.

The most important is: Be a genuinely kind, caring, compassionate, responsible, respectful person.

There is no substitute for genuine goodness, it cannot be faked.

Your character will be questioned if there is any litigation about the estate. Live by only the highest and best values, be truly loving and deserving. Prepare yourself to fight aggressively.

Separating the elderly from their loved ones to allow criminals and con artists to steal their assets and possessions is a hideous type of elder psychological abuse.

The criminals care only about your loved ones money and their assets.  These sick sociopaths will do anything they can to assure complete control and hasten your loved ones demise.