One of the reasons why it is important to retain the services of an experienced estate planning attorney is because you need personalized attention. When you communicate your wishes to your attorney and he or she has the opportunity to evaluate your assets a plan can be developed that is unique to you, your intentions, and your family.
The communication should not stop there however. There are cases when family members wind up disagreeing among one another after a loved one passes away with regard to who winds up with certain possessions. While it is true that you can elucidate your wishes in your estate planning documents, people sometimes do this in a general way that leaves openings for disagreements to arise. You may also leave certain things to one family member who really doesn’t have any particular attachment to them not knowing that one or more of them mean a great deal to a different family member.
This is a more modest type of dispute, but as we all know there is such a thing as an estate challenge. This can leave behind an absolutely acrimonious relationship among people that you love.
The suggestion here is to get together with your family members and have an open and honest discussion. You can let them know of your intentions and listen to their feedback. They will invariably discuss things among themselves as well. Ideally, the entirety of the family can all walk away from the discussion feeling comfortable with the result and when you pass away everyone will be on the same page.
There are those who shy away from talking about subjects such as these, but in the end a little bit of honest communication can go a long way toward solidifying a resonant family dynamic that will persist after you are gone.
- Common Mistakes in Estate Planning – Part III - June 7, 2023
- The Not-So Transparent Corporate Transparency Act - May 30, 2023
- How Tax and Non-Tax Considerations Impact Estate Planning – Part II - May 25, 2023
