Tips for Discussing Your Will and Estate Planning With Adult Children

Regardless of your age, having a will and making plans for your estate is something you should do. You cannot predict when you will die, but you can make sure that things are carefully planned out just in case you do pass away unexpectedly. Without a will or any plan put in motion, your adult children may be stuck trying to figure things out on their own and that could eventually lead to problems and arguments within the family. If you want to keep your adult children from dealing with additional issues when they will already be grieving your loss, you should discuss your will and estate plans with them before anything ever happens.                                                                  

Have the Conversation

Do not be afraid to have the conversation with everyone at once. Instead of calling one of your adult children and having him or her relay that information to the others, you should ask each of your children to come to your home for a family meeting where you can all have the conversation together. It is better for everyone to be in the room together when you are discussing the things you have put in your will and the plans you have made for your estate. If your children have questions, they can ask you those questions and you can address any of their concerns at that very moment.

Make Your Requests Known in Advance

You may want certain things to happen after your death. For example, you may want to have your body cremated instead of having your body buried or you might want to get buried with another loved one who has already passed away and is at the cemetery. You may want to have a small service with just your closest family members, or you may want to have a large service where everyone you know can celebrate you and the life you lived. You should make these requests that are going to be included in your will in advance because your children need to know what you want and do not want them to do if you were to pass away. You can also include information about not wanting to get resuscitated if you were to stop breathing. When your children know what it is that you want for yourself, they will need to accept those decisions and respect your wishes.

Explain Your Reason for Making Certain Decisions

When you are leaving money and property behind to your adult children, you may want to take the extra time to explain your reason for making certain decisions. For example, you may choose to set a certain amount of money into a trust fund to ensure that your grandchildren would have access to funds to use for college or other necessities. You might have a set amount of money that you would plan to split evenly between your adult children. Because you do not want any of your children feeling left out or unincluded, you can always explain the reason behind every decision you are making.

Making plans for your estate and writing out a will are things you need to do to ensure your loved ones are not making these difficult decisions for you after your death. If you would like to get help with estate planning, Giro Law can help. Schedule your consultation today by completing the form on GiroLaw.com or by calling 201-690-1642.