When families get together over Thanksgiving, there are some topics that seem to always come up in conversation: how someone’s job is going, whether cousin Frank is ever going to get married, and what your football team’s chances are in this year’s playoffs (for my Florida Gators, I’m not holding out much hope). However, there’s another topic that’s rarely brought up, but can be one of the most important conversations you ever have with your family: estate planning.
Yes, I know it’s awkward to think about: “Great turkey, mom! By the way, when was the last time you updated your power of attorney?” However, as TheStreet points out, with the family gathered together, Thanksgiving can be a perfect opportunity to bring up estate planning.
If you have been thinking about talking with your family about your estate planning intentions, having the discussion when most of the family members are in the same room is the best time to do it, as everyone can be sure that they’re all on the same page and understand what your wishes are.
However, a lot of families are hesitant to talk about this kind of thing, especially over the holidays; nobody wants to think about illness, incapacity or death during the most wonderful time of the year. Also, as busy as the holiday season can be, it’s easy to say
“We’ll worry about that after Christmas” and put off the conversation until later. The problem with that is that, once it’s put off until after the holidays, it’s easy to put it off again and again until it never winds up getting done.
So, if you think your parents or children might not want to have this talk, don’t surprise them by bringing it up in the middle of dinner. Instead, talk with them now and plan a family meeting while everyone’s together, so that they’ll have time to gather their thoughts and questions. They won’t have to put it off any longer, and can start working towards setting up a plan that will ensure that their loved ones and assets will be protected, regardless of what 2016 may bring.
This Thanksgiving, you can add “security and confidence about the future” to the list of things to be thankful for. All it takes it talking with the people you care about most.
To learn more about how Medley Law Firm can work with you to create a personalized estate plan that will help you achieve your goals, please call us at (850) 607-7890 or contact us to schedule a consultation.
From our family to yours, may you have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.