Through a recommendation from the client’s attorney, Teri was appointed Personal Representative for a woman with terminal illness. Teri’s appointment led to her consultation with the client on a specific portion of his Estate: a valuable collection amassed from a favorite hobby and pastime of hers. The client was worried about what might happen to this part of her Estate, and was concerned about it remaining in her house once she passed.
Teri met with the client and began working closely with her to figure out how to best handle the collection. Teri suggested – and the client agreed – that the best course of action would be to take care of the collection now instead of later. That way, the client could ascertain that the items were taken care of and be at ease about this portion of her Estate.
Teri met with the client on a Thursday about her collection, and by the following Monday night the collection was taken care of. Teri engaged the assistance of an auctioneer and appraiser, and the combined McRae & Associates team inventoried and catalogued all the items, and got them to auction in just under 4 days, right on schedule with the plan the McRae & Associates team had established.
Beyond taking care of the collection, Teri was brought back in as Personal Representative to handle the client’s Estate upon her passing. The client knew in advance that this would not be easy, because she was aware of certain conflicts that existed among surviving family members. The children didn’t agree on many things and didn’t necessarily get along with one another, and some beneficiaries wanted the same things as others involved.
The McRae & Associates team worked to get the best value for everything in the Estate that was to be sold, while also understanding that there are sentimental values, personal issues, and other factors involved. In this way, Teri was able to provide balanced emotional support for all the involved members of the client’s family, making key decisions and providing advice, as well as an outlet for frustration when certain decisions led to discontent within the family.
By bringing in McRae & Associates, the client was able to displace anticipated stress from key beneficiaries and appoint Teri the active negotiator in an emotionally complex situation. Teri’s central involvement with all contesting parties helped move the wake, viewing, and funeral forward, and helped establish and honor the client’s wishes. In carrying out the client’s wishes, Teri collaborated closely with an attorney for legal assistance, to make sure that distribution of the Estate was carried out properly and correctly. Both parties kept focused on moving processes along and reaching a conclusion, a method that McRae & Associates believes ultimately works best for everyone involved.