No one likes talking about heavy topics, and that is the heart of end-of-life discussions. Likewise, talk of estate planning often gets shunned for the same reason.
But these are important topics to broach, and doing so in the right way can lead to fulfilling and fruitful conversations.
Make time for the conversation
The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel discuss how to bring up the topic of an estate plan with family.
First, be sure to set a time and place. Do not spring an important discussion like this on family out of nowhere. This is not a good “holiday discussion” to have. You should set a specific date and time aside to address estate planning and give your family the time they need to prepare for the talk.
These days, it is getting more popular to have an estate planning dinner. You can rent out a private room in a restaurant or host a dinner at home, gathering all of your family together for this important discussion.
Know what to expect
Be sure to keep in mind that no matter how much time people have to prepare, there is going to be a lot of reluctance around the topic. People will cope with talk of the death of a loved one in many different ways, and you should go into the conversation understanding this.
It helps to go into the discussion with a layout and plan of what you want to discuss, too. This can help you keep on track during an emotional talk, and can improve your ability to get across all of the key discussion points, making for a more productive conversation as a whole.