August 20, 2019

It’s been said that your estate plan is only as good as the agents associated with it. It’s important, for example, to have conversations around the family’s intentions, especially between spouses.

Wives and husbands should both be involved in creating final documents to help avoid unnecessary or unforeseen complications during the most challenging of times for your family. It’s important for you and your spouse to be comfortable with other professional advisors in your life, including an attorney, an accountant, and a financial advisor.

Many spouses might stop here, tempted to keep the details of their estate plan to themselves. However, the communication of the estate plan to any involved children is critical. It’s all too easy in our American culture to put off these discussions due to the potential for conflict. However, taking necessary steps to discuss your intentions with your family members can make things easier if you were to become incapacitated, or if you or your partner were to pass away unexpectedly.

It is important to overcome your short-term hesitations about having conversations on your estate plan for the more long-term benefit of having a clear plan in place that minimizes the potential for disputes.

Every family has their own distinctive dynamics, but providing a deeper understanding of your intent and the estate planning steps you’ve already taken can make things easier for your family members during what will otherwise be a challenging time as they attempt to negotiate the financial and legal steps of caring for you during a time of incapacitation or assisting with family through your recent passing.