As you come together with your loved ones over the holidays, you have more time to catch up and talk about the future. Oftentimes, we take a vacation from work and do not have daily stresses filling up our lives. These factors create the perfect time to discuss estate planning with your family.
5 Tips for Estate Planning
Take a moment to think about your family and all that you have built together, and you may start to have thoughts of how you would want to take care of them if something were to happen to you.
Here are some tips on how you can approach the topic of estate planning with your loved ones:
- Be Ready to Answer Questions: If your aging parents are filled with questions about why estate planning is needed and how it applies to them, be ready to come with answers. Explain how important it is to create a plan that honors their wishes and decides how their assets will be distributed after their passing.
- Respect Boundaries: Perhaps your parents do not want to talk about passing away or anything unexpected happening, especially around the holidays. Follow their lead. Ask if you can set up a time after the holidays to resume the conversation.
- Take Baby Steps: Estate planning is a process. Take away the potential stress by explaining that estate planning can happen over a series of conversations. You don’t have to figure it out all at once.
- Find Appropriate Times to Talk: Be aware of how an estate planning conversation can be a sensitive topic. Find a time during morning coffee or afternoon downtime to discuss the subject.
- Offer Assistance: If your family members are hesitant about where to start, offer your assistance. You can serve as a trustee or executor of the will. Or you can recommend a trusted law firm to handle the official planning.
As you spend time with your loved ones over the holidays, take advantage of this opportunity to have the necessary conversations to begin planning for the future. This holiday season is a perfect time to make it happen.
Contact Shoup Legal
Our team here to help you through the estate planning process. If you are ready to create a trust or get your will down in writing, give us a call at (951) 455-4114 or email info@shouplegal.com to take the first step in gaining the peace of mind you deserve.
