December 21, 2016

As you gather with family for this holiday season, keep in mind that talking about your estate plan could become difficult if you have plans separate from what your loved ones intended. However, this is also a great opportunity to stay focused on what you need to share and how best to support your loved ones.

First of all, make sure that someone has access to the information that will be necessary in the event that you pass away. For example, your estate planning attorney should have a copy of everything but you may also wish to let a loved one know where relevant information such as your documents are stored, like in a safe deposit box or access to your password related information.

You may want to have your loved ones step in to deactivate or memorialize your social media accounts, for example, but they may be unable to do this if you do not provide them with the appropriate tools to get it done. It can be difficult to manage these accounts event after someone has passed away and you have relevant proof that they are indeed deceased.

Companies must obtain additional support and it may be simply easier for you to leave behind your password access information or use a tool such as Last Pass to authorize other individuals in the event that something were to happen to you. When visiting with family, try to avoid conversations about who will be receiving what unless your loved ones can come to a sense of agreement on various pieces of property. Over the holidays, arguing about various assets and materials could quickly devolve into a major family argument if you are not careful.