How to avoid family fights after you’re gone
A guide for saving money, time, relationships, and protecting your legacy.
Have you ever been worried about how your death might affect your family relationships? There are ways to avoid problems over your things and to keep your family close. Being prepared is key to avoiding family arguments that could lead to hurt feelings that you never wanted. Talking openly goes a long way to ensuring your death will not be the cause of problems within your family. These talks can be very difficult but could give everyone peace of mind in the long run. Having family meetings looks different from family to family but here are some key points to discuss.
LIVING WILL, ADVANCE DIRECTIVES, AND FINAL WISHES
A living will is used to tell people your wishes when you cannot speak for yourself. When you are unable to communicate your choices about medical decisions such as pain management, organ donation, and when to keep fighting or let you go. Make sure your family not only knows what your final wishes are but also where to find a written copy of them. There are several types of advance directives such as living wills; a lawyer can help you determine what you need. If possible, have your final arrangements pre-planned and paid for through the funeral home of your choice. This keeps your loved ones from needing to make hard decisions during an emotional time. Having this also guarantees your wishes will be met. In the event that you do not have things pre-planned be sure to have in writing what you wish for your final arrangements to look like and who will make decisions that you have not already decided on.
WHAT YOUR ESTATE PLANS ARE AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Estate planning can be scary and confusing. Wills, trusts, power of attorney, and probate can be hard to understand. Your attorney can help you figure out which documents you do and do not need for your situation. Depending on the circumstances of your estate, planning can be very complicated so having these records done by a qualified attorney could mean the difference between keeping the peace within the family and creating problems for your loved ones.
YOUR ATTORNEY AND COPIES OF YOUR DOCUMENTS
Making certain that your family has your lawyer’s information and a copy of your documents can stop problems before they start and fast track the process of settling your estate. Talking through this type of stuff before you aren’t able to will avoid confusion and arguments for your loved ones when the time comes.
CHOOSING AN EXECUTOR, TRUSTEE, AD SUCCESSOR
Any time you have established estate plans you need someone to make sure those plans are completed properly. While this decision can be hard to make and for some difficult to accept, they are necessary. Having these hard chats up front can prevent issues among your family members and friends when you are no longer around to talk out the situation.
MONEY AND HOW THINGS WILL BE DIVIDED
Making choices on who will get your things can be tricky and cause problems. Your attorney can help you understand how to make those decisions and make them legally binding. Usually, the financial part of someone’s final wishes are where loved ones take issue and have conflict. Be sure to list your possessions such as property, investments, and bank accounts before heading to your lawyer’s office to plan. Bear in mind who your beneficiaries will be and have an idea of how you want your things divided. You do not have to have it completely planned out on your own but having a rough idea in mind can help the plans move forward with ease and even lower your overall costs.
WHAT TO DO WITH SENTIMENTAL THINGS
When it comes to special personal items emotions can run high. Talking about these things with your family and friends can help you decide how you want to spread stuff out. Keep in mind what might be donated also. For many people they find it best to make a list from room to room before making choices on who will get which things. This is also very helpful when putting everything into legally binding paperwork with your lawyer. Talking with your loved ones about your wishes with sentimental tokens can greatly lower the chances of arguments over your personal property after you are gone.
ADDRESSING YOUR DEBTS
Most people have credit accounts, and those might still be due when someone passes away. No one wants to stick the people closest to them with such an unwanted mess. If your books include debts, there needs to be a clear plan in place for who will pay those debts and how they will pay them. Accounts due can be a great source of stress for loved ones during an already stressful time. Having clear arrangements in place will greatly reduce the chances of family tensions after you are gone.
EVERYONES LEGAL RIGHTS
Talking with your lawyer and also your family about the legal rights of everyone when you pass on will give them the confidence to act if they need to. When discussing the details about legal rights it is also a great time to tell people your plans on how you would want things handled if any problems do arise after you are gone.
While this subject matter is heavy it is extremely important that you consider all parts of estate planning and distribution before it is too late. Your loved ones will appreciate that you cared for them enough to protect their future relationships during such a difficult time in their lives. Making estate plans ahead of time can also save your family from financial hardships and confusion. Let your legacy include being prepared. If you are in the Wichita Falls area and looking for an attorney to help you with your estate planning the Watson Law Firm is here to help you.
