Tis the Season to Talk to Your Family About Estate Planning

Death is not something you want to spend a lot of time talking about. But at some point, you must sit down and speak to your family about the division and distribution of your estate when you pass on. This is best done with the help and advice of an Atlanta estate planning attorney.

Estate planning Atlanta involves the drawing up of a will and trusts that reflect your final wishes in the event of your death. It also includes a plan for end of life care. These are important topics which should be decided well in advance.

As we are coming to the time of year in which families gather together to celebrate the holidays, it may be a good idea to discuss the decisions you have made regarding your estate. It may not be the happiest of topics, but it may be best to take advantage of the time when your family is together so you can consider different ideas and opinions.

Here are some of the topics you should cover:

Your will 

You want to make it as clear as possible who will get what after your death. It is especially important to lay out the contents of your will if you have accumulated a great deal of wealth. It gives members of your family the opportunity to raise concerns and objections. To be sure, your will should reflect what you think is best. However, talking things over with your family will give them a chance to give you insights you may not have thought about.

End of life care

You should also discuss end of life care. An Atlanta estate planning lawyer can help you create a Georgia Health Care Directive (formally a living will) and other such instructions if you are ever incapacitated. You can also designate the member of your family who you want to make health care decisions for you in the event that you are unable to do so (such as ‘do not resuscitate’ instructions). Letting everyone know who that will be is a good way to prevent confusion, anxiety, and conflict if the unfortunate ever happens.

You should use a little of the time this holiday season to discuss these matters with your family. Contact Cohen & Goodman Law for tips to get that conversation started.