Recently, your parents shared their dreams and goals for retirement. You want your loved ones to enjoy their golden years, but you also want to ensure they plan their estate with the same care they used to plan their retirement.
Business Insider shares tips for talking to your parents about their end-of-life desires. You may not want to think about your parents’ deaths, but facing the inevitable often makes things easier for everyone.
Have the conversation soon
It makes sense to bite the bullet and ask your parents about their estate sooner rather than later. You do not know what awaits your mother and father in the months and years ahead, so helping them make their end-of-life desires legal could save you all a lot of trouble and heartache.
Ask about estate planning professionals
Are your parents talking with legal representatives, accountants, financial advisors and other professionals to help them get their estate in order? Whomever they get to help, that person should have several years of experience with helping older adults get their affairs in order.
Have a plan to talk about the plan
Do not hesitate to write what you want to say to your parents about their estate plan. With a script, you better ensure you cover all your desired bases and forget nothing. Think about a good time to have the conversation, such as during a family dinner with your parents and siblings. Also, it may help to bring estate planning documents to the conversation, to give your parents an idea of what they need to fill out and the information they need.
A single conversation may have a profound effect on your family. Understand how to help your parents help themselves.
