Grantors have a lot on their plate when managing their estate plan and will. Unfortunately, age can throw some complications into the mix too, in the form of memory problems.
Some people may want to take advantage of these problems in order to gain more favor, power or assets out of a grantor’s estate. It is thus important to keep an eye out for any manipulation of these individuals.
Methods for manipulation
Cornell Law School looks into the manipulation of a grantor, also called undue influence. In these cases, the victimized party is the grantor, and the manipulator(s) often aim for their estate. Either they want a larger slice of the estate via the will or insurance policies, or they want more control over the estate. Sometimes, they want both.
These manipulators often use the same methods even if their goals differ. For example, many will attempt to isolate the victim to keep them from seeing that they have fallen into a trap or to keep outsiders from realizing something is amiss.
Thus, keep an eye out for relatives, friends or caretakers who keep finding reasons as to why a loved one cannot take the time out to meet up with anyone else. This is often the first red flag.
Watching for changes
Watch for sudden changes, too, especially in a will or in life insurance policies. Seeing the same name crop up again repeatedly, especially seemingly out of the blue, is often a red flag that the grantor has suffered through manipulation or trickery, usually on the part of the recently included individual.
