How to talk to your kids about your estate

On Behalf of | Nov 7, 2022 | Estate Planning |

Talking to your kids about your death is a challenging task. Many parents spend a lot of time planning for what happens after they are gone but fail to communicate their plans to their kids. You might avoid this topic because you do not want to stress out your children or cause them to act a sure way to get more of your estate. However, the best planning often comes from good communication.

Here is what you need to do to share your wishes with your children.

Prepare

The best way to ensure your children fulfill your wishes is to know which of them should be responsible. Therefore, before you draft and register your will with the state, talk to your children about other mature topics and decide which of them will be the best executor.

Plan

You cannot have your wishes fulfilled if nobody knows what they are. Therefore, ensure you have critical documents, such as your power of attorney and living will. These will be important if you become disabled and rely on others to make decisions for you. Similarly, finish your estate plan and record how you want to distribute your assets.

Inform

The most important part of this process is communicating these plans to your children. First, tell them about the documents and where they can find copies. Then, ensure they know how to activate these when the time comes.

The benefits of sharing your wishes should outweigh your fears of talking to your children about your plan. In the end, following these steps can ensure your children understand what you want so they can fulfill your wishes.