Nearly two out of three advisers have dealt with family disputes during inheritance tax (IHT) planning, research from Downing found.
The study showed that 63% of advisers had faced family bust-ups during IHT planning, compared to just 26% seeing disputes when estates were settled.
Only 11% of advisers said they had never come across any family disputes related to IHT or estates.
The findings also showed that around 30% always involved other family members from the start, and 58% usually did.
Additionally, around 10% said they first met with the client before bringing in family, while 2% only worked directly with the client.
The research also found 74% felt it was important for business growth, with another 23% saying it helped but was not the only reason for involving families.
Mark Dunn, head of retail sales at Downing, said: “Inheritance can be emotive for families and that is certainly reflected in the experience of advisers.
“It is striking that advisers see more family disputes during IHT planning rather than over estate settlement, possibly demonstrating the wisdom of involving families from the start.
“It is also generally good for adviser businesses to involve family members in IHT planning as it introduces the adviser to the next generation which could help make them a client in the future.”
