Any time you make recommendations to others with regard to estate planning you have to understand the fact that each family is different. What may be possible for one may not be possible for another. There are so many different options available that experienced Oklahoma City estate planning lawyers will often emphasize the value of constructive communication among family members in order to arrive at the best possible solution.
What’s most important is to be sure your plan protects you first so you do not have to be a burden to your loved ones. Make yourself the top priority. Just this morning there is an article in the Wall Street Journal (Wall Street Journal, June 11, 2012) that alerts Boomers that caring for their parents will likely either come out of their own pocket or will reduce an expected inheritance.
Various eventualities may confront you, and if you have not discussed them with your family members confusion could rein. Those that you love could wind up disagreeing about the best way to proceed.
For example, most senior citizens will someday need living assistance of one kind or another. Family members could disagree about the correct course of action, and if you are not in a position to be assertive at that time, an acrimonious dynamic could ensue.
You must also consider who you would want to have making your decisions for you if you were to become incapacitated. If no choices have been recorded, your family members may or may not wind up on the same page with regard to how your affairs should be handled.
The details of your estate plan could be hard for some individuals to understand if you do not make your reasoning clear in advance via some honest communication.
To the extent that it is possible, open and sincere communication among family members will help to keep everyone seeing eye to eye as you reach an advanced age. I’ve always said, “Bad behavior can ruin a good plan.” This is something to keep in mind as you are planning for the future.
Larry Parman
Author, President and Founding Attorney
Parman & Easterday
Since founding Parman & Easterday in 1985, Larry has led over 1,000 free, community-service education programs and helped more than 10,000 Oklahoma families go from putting off their estate plan to getting it done. His goal for every client is the same: to become the person their family calls "the one who took care of everything."
Larry is the author of three books: The Straight Shooter's Guide to Estate Planning; Estate Planning Basics; and Guiding Those Left Behind in Oklahoma. He served as Oklahoma's Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce, and his firm is the only member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys in the state.
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