Families tend to be at the center of holidays.
The holiday season is a great time to gather to celebrate and carry on our family traditions. This year, some of our traditions needed to be modified or changed, but I find that most families have adapted and found ways to stay connected. In estate planning, we’ve found that communicating with our families about their estate plan is necessary to ensure their estate plans will actually work, and that their family is taken care of. That’s why we’ve included a family care meeting in our estate planning process, whereby you, your trusted advisers, and your family members meet to discuss your estate plan and how best to take care of you and your family in the event of incapacity and death. Remember, we do not have to disclose the value of assets in these meetings (because we don’t know the value of the assets when you die), but it is important that your family meets your trusted advisors, understands what your intent is regarding your estate plan, and knows that you’ve taken the steps necessary to make things easier for them when you die.
Although COVID-19 has caused many challenges for us as a firm, as well as for the families we represent, one bright spot has been our increased use of Zoom to connect with our clients. They no longer need to drive to our office to be with us, or reschedule when their lives get busy. We can now have Zoom meetings while you’re in the comfort of your own home! In addition, it’s easier to coordinate family care meetings among far-flung family members in separate locations because Zoom allows us to have an effective family care meeting to communicate what your wishes are, and make sure that your family is prepared to help you and your loved ones.
If you haven’t had a family care meeting yet, or if it’s been a long time, please feel free to call our office to schedule one, as one of our favorite meetings is when we get to meet with you and your family.
We hope you had a happy, healthy and safe holiday, and we look forward to meeting with you and your families in 2021.
As always, our team here at Family Estate Planning Law Group would love to help you think holistically about estate planning, from how to set up a plan to making sure your assets are aligned and your whole team of financial professionals and/or caregivers or loved ones are involved. To learn more about how we can help you take care of your loved ones, visit our website, check out our blog, or schedule your complimentary consultation today!
