Prepare Your Family for the Financial and Legal Aftermath of Your Death

A young man touches foreheads with an older man in a caregiving situation.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The passing of a loved one is an emotional time, and family members are often dealing with their grief in different ways. If left undecided, the many legal and financial choices families have to make after the death of a loved one can be an additional emotional drain on their already overwhelmed minds. Larger families can often suffer an even greater burden as they must make decisions that involve many parties — choices that can sometimes lead to arguments or even major fights.

Making end-of-life plans ahead of time can help prevent much of the stress that comes with the financial and legal aftermath of a loved one’s death. Taking the following six steps now, as recommended by the financial experts of Kiplinger Advisor Collective, can help ensure your family is taken care of in the event of your passing and are allowed to grieve without any additional burdens.

Discuss end-of-life wishes with your family early and often
“Start talking to your family early about end-of-life wishes, and continue the conversation throughout your life as circumstances change. Bring up estate and end-of-life planning in low-stakes situations to normalize them and make it easy for anyone to ask questions. As you clarify your wishes, keep a running list, and talk with a financial planner and legal adviser to ensure they're carried out.” — Dana Miranda, YOU DON'T NEED A BUDGET

From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance

Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just ~~$107.88~~ $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues

CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/y99mlvgqmn1763972420.png

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

Inventory your property and assign it to an heir
“Create a home inventory of your personal property and assign it to an heir. Digital home management tools can itemize everything in your home. This first helps with home insurance to make sure you are properly insured. One extra step assigns it to an heir, which becomes part of your estate plan. This is important for items of value and sentimental items to eliminate family struggles around who gets what item.” — John Bodrozic, HomeZada

Set aside money for funeral expenses
“Yes, you need a will, but what about your remains? With a funeral costing around $8,000 in the U.S., you can save your loved ones stress and money if you’re clear about what you want and set aside enough money to cover the expense. You don’t want your heirs trying to decipher your wishes based on previous conversations, and you definitely don’t want them paying for your funeral after you’re gone.” — Howard Dvorkin, Debt.com

Create a comprehensive estate plan
“They need to create a comprehensive estate plan that includes a will, a trust and clear beneficiary designations for all assets. They need to make sure that the trust also gets funded correctly. Creating a list of important key contacts and the location of important documents can also be incredibly helpful to their family members.” — Bob Chitrathorn, Wealth Planning By Bob Chitrathorn of Simplified Wealth Management

Get end-of-life decisions in a writing or personal directions letter
“Get professional advice to create and fund an estate plan that designates who will make decisions for you financially and medically. Plan to minimize estate tax. Include your end-of-life decisions in a writing or personal directions letter. The medical directive only indicates if your life is to be prolonged by machines. A writing can ensure that your doctors and/or family will not litigate.” — John Goralka, The Goralka Law Firm

Support family members with investments, funds and full understanding
“Establish a comprehensive estate plan and set up income-generating investments or funds to create a legacy that supports loved ones financially. Share clear instructions and involve family members in understanding the plan, empowering them with financial literacy and peace of mind for the future.” — Dr. Clemen Chiang, Spiking

Disclaimer

The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation.