Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
It sounds crazy, but there are many good reasons why someone would not want to receive an inheritance. Making sure that you are not forced to receive assets must be done very carefully, so you’ll need an estate planning attorney on your team.
An estate waiver, also known as an inheritance waiver, releases a person from the right to claim assets in the event of another person’s death. You’ll need such a waiver, if you don’t want to be stuck with state or federal taxes based on the value of the estate, or you don’t want a piece of real estate that is located far from where you live. Another reason for not wanting an inheritance: you may be in the middle of litigation or a divorce and the last thing you want is to increase your assets.
Whatever the reason, this article from Investopedia, “How Inheritance and Estate Tax Waivers Work,” provides some tips to consider when deciding on an inheritance or estate waiver release.