Orange County Trust Lawyers on How to Help a Loved One Who Is Hesitant to Set up an Estate Plan

Many people put off estate planning because it can be difficult to think about their own death. However, estate planning is an important way to ensure that your wishes are honored and that your loved ones are taken care of after you are gone.

If you have a loved one who has been procrastinating on creating an estate plan, there are a few steps you can take to help them get started. 

Explain What Will Happen if They Don’t Have a Plan in Place

The main reason people don’t put an estate plan in place is that they haven’t fully thought through the consequences of what would happen without one. If your loved ones don’t make their wishes clear in advance, the probate courts will have to decide what goes to whom, which can take a long time and can create ill will among family members.

You can explain this to your loved one while also putting things in more positive terms; for example, let them know that by creating a plan, they can make it much more likely that their assets can go towards a child’s home purchase or a grandchild’s college tuition, instead of being tied up in court. Plus, the peace of mind knowing that their affairs are in order is priceless.

Approach the Conversation with Compassion

Any conversation you have with your loved one about the need to make a plan should come from a place of compassion as well as firmness. 

Make sure that they understand that you have their best interests at heart. For example, Orange County Trust Lawyers explain that estate planning is not all about how their assets should be distributed but also about planning for medical decisions while the person is still alive.

These conversations can be overwhelming at any age. Working from a place of understanding and gentleness can help you bring your loved one around to doing what needs to be done to protect their family’s interests as well as their own.

Contact Us

Whether you need help with an estate plan or talking to a family member about why they need an estate plan, call our Orange County trust attorneys. We can meet with your family and help you develop a plan to talk to your reluctant relative about the benefits of solid planning. Simply call our office at (800) 244-8814 to schedule an initial meeting.

If you have any further questions about asset protection planning and strategies to shield your wealth, or if you’d like to have your current asset protection plan reviewed to make sure it still meets your needs, please contact us at our California asset protection office at 800-244-8814 to set up a consultation.