September 15, 2016

Think carefully about the best interests of your beneficiaries when putting together comprehensive plans. You need to think carefully about their own ability to manage the information and the best way to pass it on to them. This is a highly personal decision and one that can be filled with emotions, particularly if you have loved ones who expect that you’re giving them a particular piece of property. Having this conversation can be difficult if you have changed your mind, but it’s a good idea to meet directly with an estate planning attorney to talk through options. There are many strategies and concepts for passing along assets to someone else that you should be aware of and consider incorporating into your plan. 

Although it might be tempting to leave property and assets outright to your loved ones in your will, this is often not the best strategy, particularly since your will is subject to probate and can become a matter of public record. It can also be more problematic for your loved ones if there is no control on your end exercised over how the assets are distributed.

Many adult children may struggle with the sudden influx of money in the form of an inheritance, but a trust can add an additional layer of control to ensure that a spendthrift child is protected from himself or herself. Speaking with an experienced estate planning attorney is the best way to determine how to appropriately protect loved ones while also leaving behind a meaningful legacy for them as well. Consulting with an attorney can help to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses in your current estate plan and provide you a road map of where to go from there.