Even when people go through the process of making a will, they often fail to take any further steps to secure their legacy. One that they should take is going over their last wishes with would be heirs to make clear why they are making certain dispositions. This may diffuse many potential troubles down the road when a heir gets less than expected and does not have the satisfaction of knowing why the testator did what they did. A client might be reluctant to take this step, particularly if they foresee a problem, but it will give them the satisfaction that their death will not cause any extra grief for loved ones.
See Katie Kuehner-Hebert, Estate Planning: Help Seniors Avoid These Mistakes, Financial Planning, May 12, 2015.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
