New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
Estate planning is a fundamental aspect of any thought-out financial plan, but when it’s your loved ones who need to create a plan, it can be challenging to discuss this issue. One reason it’s difficult to discuss estate planning with a loved one is that this often involves confronting sensitive issues including that not all of us will live forever. While it’s most common for adult children to help elderly parents with estate planning, this is not always the case. In reality, people of any age who care about one another can help each other with estate planning. If you’re debating navigating the estate planning process with a loved one, there are some helpful pieces of advice that you should remember to follow.
Approach Helping Your Loved One in the Right Way
If a loved one refuses to get his or her estate plan in order, one proven strategy that can help is obtaining the assistance of any financial professionals who your loved one trusts. These professionals can often recommend estate planning attorneys who will be a good match for the needs of your loved one. If your loved one does not have this type of estate planning help in place, you should prepare to attend the first meeting with your loved one’s estate planning attorney to make sure that this proceeds as smoothly as possible. Also, while approaching your loved one about estate planning, you should remember that it’s a good idea to force your loved one into making a decision. Instead, it’s best to take a gentle approach that your loved one considers estate planning.
Remember the Positive Approach
As you try your best to encourage your loved one to engage in estate planning, remember that many individuals report that one of the best end results of the estate planning process is the accompanying peace of mind. You should also remember to proceed through estate planning conversations with an open mind. Do everything you can to be honest and communicate openly about the nature of the process. It’s also important to urge your loved one to appoint an executor or guardian who is fully prepared to perform the necessary job. Remember, after this individual is selected that the person knows the critical details about your loved one.
Understand the Danger of Not Updating Estate Planning Documents
Even if your loved one has an estate plan, it’s important to make sure that it’s up to date. Many people write estate planning documents at some point in their life, but then fail to update them. If your loved one passes away or becomes incapacitated or passes away without an adequately updated estate plan, decisions can end up being made that were once in your loved one’s best interest but no longer are.
Obtain the Assistance of a Compassionate Estate Planning Attorney
While it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the various options involved in estate planning, a skilled attorney can help you decide what is right for you. Contact Ettinger Law Firm today to schedule a free case evaluation.