PEACE OF MIND
When your children were small, you no doubt suffered the challenge of keeping peace in the family. We see this same scenario play out time after time among adult siblings when a messy estate causes family rifts. Here are 10 tips to help prevent your children from fighting over your estate: Talk to children about your estate plan. It may be a difficult discussion to have, but you need to have it. If you find it too difficult, enlist the help of your estate planning attorney to go over the details of your estate plan with your children and answer their questions. You don’t have to tell them what they get exactly, but who will be the executor or trustee and why you have chosen them. This discussion is most important to have concerning your health care and what treatment or non-treatments you want during serious illness or end of life situations. Make it well known to all of your children. Preferably in a group setting, so they all hear the same message.
Write your children a letter. If you can’t face a face-to-face discussion, put it in writing with as much detail as you are comfortable providing to your children. You can frame the discussion in general terms and ask for their input. I like letters, this eliminates interruptions of your thoughts or protests while you are conveying this important message.
