I know that estate planning is typically for those that are planning for their future and distribution of assets in a will. However, I'm close to a situation that is after the fact, so to speak. Please bear with me for a minute and I'll explain, then ask my question.
My father-in-law passed away this past summer. He and his wife had several large properties, and most of the family (except my wife and I) live on one of those properties. My mother-in-law decided that the property is far too much for her to handle so she's signed over the trust deeds to three properties to her children, without specifying how the land is to be divided up.
There is a working ranch (I call it a hobby ranch because it's for their pleasure, not a real business) on the property where the family lives. The mother-in-law is leaving it up to the children to decided how the land will be divided up. She doesn't want to be the "bad guy".
My question is this. Given the circumstances described above, would the kind of thing fall under the category of "estate planning"? And if it does, will any attorney with estate planning experience be able to handle this kind of situation? Or do we need to look for specific expertise?
