• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Parman & Easterday

Oklahoma Estate Planning Attorneys

Call Now: (405) 843-6100 |
(918) 615-2700

Attend an Education Program-Oklahoma City Area Attend An Education Program in the Tulsa Area
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • What Our Clients Say
  • Estate Planning
    • Asset Protection
    • Business Succession Planning
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • IRA and Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • Powers of Attorney
    • Probate
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration and Probate
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Elder Law
    • Emergency Medicaid
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Elder Law Reports
      • Elder Law Resources
        • Edmond Elder Law
        • Oklahoma City Elder Law
        • Overland Park Elder Law
        • Yukon Elder Law
      • Medicaid
      • Nursing Home Resources
    • Estate Planning
      • An Overview of Estate and Gift Taxes
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
        • Advanced Estate Planning
        • Basic Estate Planning
        • Estate Planning for Niches
        • Trust Administration
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Alzheimer’s FAQs
      • Asset Protection Planning
      • Estate Planning
      • Elder Law
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Inheritance Planning for Minors
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Nursing Home Asset Protection
      • Probate
      • Trust Administration
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Wills and Trusts
    • Newsletters
    • Probate and Trust Administration
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • Probate Checklist
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Probate Resources
      • Midwest City Probate
      • Moore Probate
      • Oklahoma City Probate
      • Overland Park Probate
    • Published Books
    • Pre Consultation Form
  • Communities We Serve
    • Edmond
    • Midwest City
    • Moore
    • Norman
    • Oklahoma City
    • Yukon
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • BLOG
  • Contact Us
Home » Guardianship » Affluenza, Inheritances, and Legacy Wealth Plans

Affluenza, Inheritances, and Legacy Wealth Plans

October 20, 2015 by Larry Parman, Attorney at Law

Affluenza, Inheritances, and Legacy Wealth Plans

The notion of affluenza came into the public spotlight last year after a teenager in Texas was involved in a drunk driving collision that resulted in the death of several people. One of the witnesses raised the notion of affluenza to explain the teen’s actions. In this context, affluenza was used to show that a person raised in an affluent environment might have a diminished ability to understand the consequences of his or her actions.

Even though the attorney in the affluenza case never used that term in the defense of his client and the court did not take it into account when it made its ruling, the term gained public notoriety. While most reject the notion that affluenza should have a role in the criminal justice process, it is a real phenomena, one to be aware of when you craft an estate plan. Let’s look at why this might be true.

Sudden Wealth, Trust Funds, and Affluenza

The notion that money can lead to happiness is both supported by evidence and problematic at the same time. All the research shows it takes a basic amount of money to have the best chance to live a happy life.  It also shows that extra money doesn’t necessarily make a person happy.

We have seen that people who aren’t suited to managing money are at a disadvantage after receiving sudden wealth. Many professional athletes squander their earnings soon after they retire from their chosen sports. The vast majority of lottery winners have squandered their windfalls within five years of winning.

There’s also a well-known phenomenon in financial planning circles that family wealth doesn’t last longer than three generations. A lot of people, such as actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, have worried that by providing their children with all their financial needs, they will raise children who are unhappy or who are unable to have productive, purposeful lives.

Inheritances and Legacy Wealth Plans

If inheriting or receiving a lot of wealth makes someone less likely to be happy or less capable of dealing with financial issues, what does that mean for someone who wants to craft an inheritance plan that will leave his or her loved ones large sums of money? Should you forgo your choices and instead leave your wealth to charities, religious organizations, or someone else?

Not necessarily. Many people confronting the reality of squandered wealth and unhappy lives due to large inheritances choose to craft a legacy wealth plan instead. A legacy wealth plan focuses on more than financial or tax concerns.  It is designed to keep your wealth around for as long as possible, while ensuring your loved ones have the chance at a productive, purposeful life. A legacy wealth plan is more complicated than a simple inheritance plan.  It is something you should speak to your attorney about if you would like more information.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Larry Parman, Attorney at Law
Larry Parman, Attorney at Law
Founder and Owner at Parman & Easterday
After helping his own family deal with a lengthy probate and the IRS following his father’s untimely death in a farm accident, Larry Parman made a decision to help families create effective estate plans designed to reduce taxes, minimize legal interference with the transfer of assets to one’s heirs, and protect his clients’ assets from predators and creditors.
Larry Parman, Attorney at Law
Latest posts by Larry Parman, Attorney at Law (see all)
  • Estate Administration 101 - February 2, 2023
  • Why Do You Need an Elder Law Attorney? - January 31, 2023
  • Inheritance Planning for Blended Families - January 26, 2023

Filed Under: Guardianship

Other Articles You May Find Useful

incapacity planning
Take Proactive Steps to Prevent a Guardianship
Parman & Easterday
Estate Planning For Domestic Partners
Overland Park estate planning attorney
Are Your Assets In Harm’s Way?
overland park probate attorneys
Understanding Guardianship Proceedings in Probate Court
Parman & Easterday
How Does a Court Choose a Guardian or Conservator?
Parman & Easterday
Guardians, Conservators, and More – What Does a Guardian/Conservator do?

Primary Sidebar

Parman & Easterday, LLP

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE ESTATE PLANNING CHECKLIST

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Where We Are

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
13913 Quail Pointe Drive, Suite B
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Phone: (405) 843-6100
Fax: (405) 917-7018

MAP

parman_sidbr_map

Where We Are

TULSA, OK
Memorial Place 7633 E. 63rd Place
Tulsa, OK 74133
Phone: (918) 615-2700

MAP

parman_sidbr_map

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Footer

footer-logo

The information on this Oklahoma Law Firm website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

Oklahoma City Estate Planning Attorneys at Parman & Easterday offer estate planning services in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and surrounding areas. Contact us for help today.

Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys


© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube