Trusting Kids with Large Inheritances Remains a Challenge

One of the most common concerns that parents have when creating an estate plan in New York is worrying about passing on too much wealth to children who cannot properly handle it. After a lifetime of hard work, ingenuity, and prudent planning, the last thing many families want is to see a child obtain an inheritance and then lose it. One need only check newspapers headlines to see celebrity examples of younger individuals with too much money whose lives take a turn for their worst as they fail to handle their wealth carefully.

A Wall Street Journal article last week discussed this issue in the context of the now seemingly permanent federal estate tax rates. Per the “fiscal cliff” agreement, the estate tax law will allow each individual to shield up to $5.25 million. For a couple, that allows $10.5 million to be given to others tax-free.

While this is good news for those who have this much wealth to pass along, it does raise some questions for families. Is your child–no matter what age–prepared to handle an inheritance of this size? Will it be lost to creditors? Taken by a spouse? WIll the money change the child’s motivation or long-term goals?

It is entirely prudent to ask these questions and work with estate planning attorneys to come up with creative ways to protect against one’s concerns.

Of course, the trust is the crucial legal instrument that allows wealth to be passed on with certain protections and limitations set up, depending on your specific situation. Every trust is managed by a trustee. The trustee can administer the legal entity to ensure that beneficiaries are taken care of while protecting the principal. For example, the trustee can work with the beneficiaries to dole out funds when necessary–for college or a wedding–while not giving the beneficiary free control right away. Alternatively, disbursements to the beneficiary can be made in pieces, with a certain percentage of the inheritance given in five year increments.

At the end of the day, there are many different options that are available to families of considerable wealth to ensure that they pass on an inheritance without concern about how it will be used or affect their children. The first step is to visit with an estate planning lawyer who can provide tailored advice about what legal tools can be used to meet the specific needs of your family.