Estate plans cover a lot of ground. After all, one estate plan needs to cover every single one of a person’s assets, what they want to do with said assets, who their beneficiaries are, how they want their body handled, and much, much more.
Unfortunately, while most estate owners will leave these matters to a trusted executor, some executors are not as scrupled as they initially seem.
What is the aim of a manipulator?
Cornell Law School discusses a form of estate manipulation also called undue influence. This often happens when a person sets their sights on another’s estate. In some cases, they may have a goal to get appointed executor or another position of power so they can run the estate as they please.
But what happens if the manipulator is actually the chosen executor? In this case, they often want to manipulate the victim in an attempt to gain more of the assets in the estate itself. For example, they may want to turn the victim against another relative so that the relative can end up eliminated from the will, and the manipulator can gain their share instead.
The damage of manipulation tactics
The tactics a manipulator uses to get their way can actually end up permanently scarring the victim on emotional and mental levels. For example, isolation is one of the most common tactics they use. They do this in order to strictly control the information the victim hears. However, this can cause the victim to feel isolated, which may cause anxiety, depression and more.
Fortunately, loved ones who notice something amiss can take action. Anyone who suspects undue influence should consider launching an investigation to uncover the truth.