As your parents age, you might find yourself concerned about their estate. After all, if they don’t have a plan in place, then the distribution of their assets could be muddled, and their potential need for medical care and competent healthcare decisions might be compromised. Sadly, many people put off estate planning until it’s too late, creating a lot of hardships and difficulties for them and their families. You don’t want that to happen to your parents, which is now may be the time to start the estate planning conversation.
How can you talk to your parents about estate planning?
Discussing estate planning with your parents can be difficult. It’s uncomfortable for many people to confront their own mortality, and discussing estate planning may also force your parents to face the realities of strained relationships. Here are some tips for effectively having that conversation, though:
- Find a natural way to spark the conversation, such as a recent news story or an estate planning-related event that involved people you know.
- Listen to what’s important to your parents so that you can help them prioritize.
- Don’t rush the conversation and expect it to span multiple discussions.
- Ask open-ended questions to help facilitate information sharing and to put your parents at ease.
- Get help from other family members who can help support your parents during the talk.
- Avoid pushing your parents to do something that they’re uncomfortable doing.
- Take notes so that you can help your parents revisit topics that are important to them.
Do you have questions about what your parents can do to build an effective estate plan?
If so, then it might be wise to reach out to your or your parents’ estate planning attorney to discuss the matter further. By doing so, you’ll hopefully get a better idea of how to support your parents as they embark on their estate planning journey.
