Tax and personal planning can be upended by family disputes that spill into litigation. Inheritance rifts or clashes over family wealth management often force disclosures that catch the eye of tax authorities, turning a private conflict into audits, assessments, and potential erosion of family wealth. The Bettencourt affair (also the subject of a Netflix series) is a cautionary tale: once intimate facts go public, control is lost. Even when you are convinced you are in the right, it is essential to consider the potential tax repercussions before initiating legal action. In some cases, avoiding litigation may be the wisest choice to prevent collateral damage that could ultimately prove more harmful than the dispute itself.