Clients come in daily to create their estate plans with their loved ones in mind. After many discussions, clients have to decide who should be their trustee or money manager and who should be their healthcare agent to make medical decisions should they be unable. We encourage our clients to have discussions with their agents to make sure their agent feels comfortable serving and understands the client’s intent and goals with their estate plan. However, while death is inevitable, death seems in the far distant future. When their estate plan is complete, clients feel accomplished, however they know they may still have to discuss their plans with their children.
But how? Is there ever a good time? How do you address topics you know your kids don’t want to discuss? If you don’t discuss them, how will they ever know what your intent was, why you picked your agents, what medical decisions you want made, what assets you have, or how to access important information? Sometimes the awkwardness overcomes having the needed discussions. But wouldn’t it be easier if there was some way to break the ice? I recently came across an article which addresses this conversation with a dose of reality and humor. I think many clients can relate. Read the Letter “Dear Sons: Can We Talk About Death and Dying” and see if you can implement a similar strategy so your important conversations are not left unsaid.
