What about your own family and heirs – will they understand? What can you do to make yourself understood? Then again, if instead you are the one inheriting, have you thought it through from everyone’s perspective?
Properly thinking through your estate planning objectives and then committing it to proper legal instruments can be an arduous task. That is why too few otherwise responsible adults actually follow through on their intentions. One of the most common estate plans is one that lies unsigned in a desk drawer.
When all is said and done, it is your estate and you may distribute it as you wish. Period. Nevertheless, long-term family harmony often hinges on communicating your wishes while you are alive and able to explain them. Surprise is only a good thing when it comes to birthdays and military maneuvers.
