Every family is different. Only you can know how to approach your family about something as sensitive as estate planning. But discussions like this will help their peace of mind as they deal with difficult decisions and life events.
How to Help You with Incapacity . . . and How to Pay for It.
Facing the possibility of your future needs is hard. Your family and friends may be able to provide day-to-day living assistance. Discussing how you’d like family members assist you enables them to help without being asked. This may also be the time to share how you feel about in-house and nursing home care.
Let your family know how your long-term care will be covered. For example, do you have funds saved up specifically for long-term care, have you purchased insurance to cover increased medical needs, or have you already started planning your Medicaid eligibility.
Finally, tell your family about any estate planning documents you’ve prepared. Your Health Care Proxy or Medical Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Durable Power of Attorney provide your loved ones with guidance on how to handle medical and financial decisions for you.
What You Want Them to Do with Your Stuff.
We encourage our clients to talk to their families about how to handle their possessions after they pass away. While talking about this is great, it’s even better to have a Will or trust in place that distributes your estate as quickly and painlessly as possible. You don’t have to tell your family every detail of your estate plan. However, make sure your executor knows that you have a plan, where your plan documents are located, and which attorney to contact after your passing.
How to Say Goodbye.
Talking about death can be upsetting. Let your family know you’ve made plans to make your passing easier on them. If you’ve paid for pre-funeral arrangements or have definite ideas about your memorial service, share these now.
It’s never easy to talk to your family about estate planning.
But it is necessary.
If you haven’t made your estate plan yet, don’t delay.
The attorneys at Miller Estate and Elder Law stand ready to assess your needs and develop the right plan to meet those needs. For a free consultation, contact us at 256-251-2137 or use our convenient Contact Form. We have offices in Anniston and Birmingham, and we help clients in the Gadsden, Hoover, Talladega, Vestavia Hills, and surrounding areas.
