Even if you have a close relationship with your parents, approaching them about estate planning is not easy for you or them. As an independent person, you will have great respect for the assistance they gave you in getting where you are today. This largely stems from their ability to manage their own affairs as well as your upbringing.
For the reasons stated above, it can be difficult both for adult children and elderly parents to acknowledge that age is starting to mean that they need a little help. An estate plan can provide benefits for both elderly parents and their loved ones, but these benefits are not always immediately present.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can talk to your parents about estate planning, and open their minds up to the advantages of the process. Hopefully, the following tips will provide you with some useful insight.
Focus on the positives
Of course, much of the estate planning process involves making plans for the event that someone becomes incapacitated. However, this is not all that estate planning entails. Different legal tools can cater to the health care needs and financial interests of your elderly relatives while they are still alive. Removing the morbidity from estate planning discussions can encourage your parents to take a more proactive approach.
Make sure no one is excluded
Unfortunately, disputes over inheritance are common and they usually revolve around inadequate estate planning. People can feel left out if they have not been included in estate planning discussions, which can lead to family disputes and even challenges over a final will. This can be avoided by making sure that the whole family is involved in estate planning conversations.
Approaching your elderly relatives about estate planning is not an easy task, but it is a task that you can take on as a family. As you make plans for the future, make sure you factor in your legal rights.
