follow the guidance given in the will. Where there is no will enacted by the owner of the property, then the state’s laws regarding intestate succession will come into play. If either the will or the law requires the estate to be divided equally, the heirs must act accordingly. Sentimental objects are invaluable to those they are valuable to and settling them should happen out of the legal conventions in agreement between the siblings. Since the value of sentimental objects is often subjective and cannot be decided by an appraiser, the real challenge comes when more than one sibling wants the possession. Negotiation and compromise are called for. A real estate agent can be appointed to decide the value of the property. The challenge here may revolve around how to divide the real estate among the heirs in a way that is acceptable to all parties. The two main approaches that the siblings could take include either selling the property to divide the proceeds or keeping the property and sharing its use. If the estate also features assets that cannot be distributed on pro-rata basis, an equal division of value is the solution. If a sibling wants to hold the property, then the others can get cash equal to their share of the property or other assets as it may be decided. Ultimately, everyone involved in the deal walks away with his or her share of the property in the right proportion.
Dealing with the leftover items in the estate could be a
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