If you’re concerned that your parents haven’t done their estate planning yet or if you’d simply like to know more about what they have done, you may be focusing on the future. You know that disputes are more likely if they don’t have a plan, or if anything in that plan surprises the heirs. You would like more information just so that some of these disputes could be avoided.
However, you feel like it’s going to sound like you’re just asking about your inheritance because you’re eager to get it. This isn’t on your mind at all and it’s not an impression you want to give off, so how can you bring this up with your parents? Here’s one way to do it:
Make your own plan and talk to them about the process
One of the simplest ways to bring up estate planning is simply to make your own plan. Write a will, create trusts, consider what will happen with your assets and take all the other steps you need to put a plan in place.
You may think that it’s too early to do this, but it actually is beneficial to have an estate plan at any point. It also gives you a natural way to mention it to your parents. You can tell them what you did, point out any hurdles you ran into, ask any questions you had and discuss all the steps you decided to take. You can then ask them about their plan organically, and it may even sound like you’re just trying to get their feedback or ask for advice. By doing so, you may be able to prevent some of those future disputes.
As you make your plan or talk to your parents about their options, remember to carefully look into the legal steps that you’ll need to take.
