The fate of the late comedic actor Robin Williams’ tuxedo has apparently been resolved.

More than a year after the Academy Award winner committed suicide, his third wife and his three children from two previous marriages reached a settlement in September over the disposition of his property. The iconic rainbow suspenders worn by Williams on the TV show Mork and Mindy were never in doubt—they went to the children—but the tuxedo he wore during his wedding to Susan Schneider was an item of contention.

Like virtually all celebrity estate battles, the Williams tuxedo case generated a lot of publicity. But advisors caution that such conflicts are not limited to the rich and famous.

In fact, estate planners say, advisors would be wise to probe for any potential landmines down the road, particularly cases where family members place a strong sentimental rather than monetary value on a family asset.

The source of trouble could be something as simple as an item of clothing.

Matt Jehn, managing partner at Royal Oak Financial Group in Worthington, Ohio, has two clients who are sisters who used to be very close. However, after their mother died, “one sister took an old raggedy hat and scarf that belonged to their mother and the other sister resented it. Now they do not talk to each other.”

But the impact of sentimental value works both ways. Jehn had one heir who gave up $450,000 worth of land that she said she did not want to deal with in exchange for an old sewing machine the mother used. The sister who got the land could not believe all her sibling wanted was the sewing machine, Jehn says.

Kimberly Foss, founder of Empyrion Wealth Management in Roseville, Calif., dealt with the six children—five girls and a boy—of a client who passed away. The family literally drew straws to see who would get which possessions.

But even that well-thought-out plan did not prevent all of the potential problems. The lone son drew the mother’s wedding ring, which was worth about $100, and it ended up on the hand of his wife.

The girls in the family, however, wanted the ring for sentimental reasons. When it ended up on the hand of a non-blood relative, things got heated.

“It put a huge rift in the family. They finally got back together, but 10 years passed before it happened,” Foss says.

“This is an area where an advisor can add real value to their services,” Foss adds. “I try to talk to my clients about where they want their possessions to go. I go to a family meeting, at Thanksgiving or Christmas, when the family is together, and act as an intermediary in talking about these issues. That takes the blame and favoritism out of the picture.”

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