Thinking about your mortality is a topic that you might avoid at all costs. You may especially dread talking about your affairs with your family. However, it is vital that at some point you sit down together and have a serious conversation about these matters.
According to Forbes, here are some things to consider when you and your family talk about estate planning.
Begin discussing your estate planning now
Starting a discussion about estate planning is something that should begin sooner rather than later. Talking about your wishes for your future care and directives is best done when you are still of sound mound and body. Also, dealing with matters now minimizes the likelihood that there are going to be hurt feelings later on with respect to your decisions. Remember that this is probably going to be an ongoing dialogue throughout the years.
Find an occasion when your family is all together and you have some time to spend on this. Although the ultimate decisions are yours to make, allow your loved ones the chance to voice their opinions, as some of their thoughts may be surprising. For example, you might learn that the beach cottage that you planned to leave to your two children equally may be extremely important to one child, while the other may have no interest whatsoever.
Cover the estate planning basics
When you have your family estate planning meeting, come prepared with a list of topics to cover. Be sure to cover topics such as:
- Advanced medical directives
- Plans for power of attorney
- Life insurance
- Plans for executor
- Will and trust
Also, spend some time talking about any possessions that have sentimental value to your family members. Figuring out a way to divide them in a manner that pleases everyone is a way to keep the peace after you are gone.
