No one wants to have the difficult, unpleasant and often painful conversations surrounding estate planning.
However, it is crucial for a person to communicate their plans and wishes with their loved ones in order to avoid headaches and confusion later down the road.
Be clear about your intentions
Forbes discusses the challenges associated with estate planning conversations. First: avoid waiting until the last minute to let people know you want to talk about your estate plans and have an end-of-life discussion. Few people deal with the topic well, and even fewer deal with it well when it gets launched at them suddenly.
On top of that, make sure your loved ones know why you want to hold this conversation in the first place. It is not because of them, but because you want to ensure proper plans are in place and people understand them.
Pick a good place and time
No one reacts well to surprises about estate plan chats, and no one reacts well when they coincide with stressful periods in life or in inappropriate places.
Lately, a popular method includes reserving a private room at a nice restaurant and holding the conversation there. That way, people have privacy, comfort and a good meal to look forward to in exchange for holding this tough talk.
Stress the benefits of the conversation
Finally, make sure everyone understands the importance of having this conversation. Explain what may happen in worst-case scenarios if no one else understands your plan, and talk about the emotional importance to you.
In taking these steps, it is easier to organize and host this important discussion.
