How to Discuss Your Will with Your Family

Although you might not want to think about it, the fact is that planning for the future is absolutely vital, and even if it might seem rather morbid, it’s far better to put things in place sooner rather than later. This way, you’ll be sure that everything is how you want it to be when it comes to what happens after you pass away.

Of course, part of that planning really should be to discuss your will with your family. You don’t have to, but it’s usually better to let them know about it, even if it does seem like a daunting kind of conversation to have.

Talking openly about your will and the wishes you’ve included in it means that there won’t be any misunderstandings when you’re not around anymore, and conflicts can, for the most part, at least, be avoided. With this in mind, here are some tips to talk to your family about your will and make things easier on everyone.

Write It First

One important thing to do before you talk to your family about your will is to actually write it. It’s far better to have it all written down and signed by witnesses so you can have a better idea of what you’re talking about, plus, if it comes to it, you won’t be persuaded to make changes because it’s already done.

If that’s difficult, don’t worry, there are plenty of people who can help, and you can even turn to charities for advice. Macmillan offer a free will service, for example, which is useful, especially if you want to leave a gift to the charity in your will. The point is that having the will written before you talk to your family takes the pressure off and gives you a starting point for the conversation.

Choose The Right Time And Place

Timing is something else to think about when you want to discuss your will with your family; you’ll want to find a time when there aren’t any distractions and everyone’s calm and happy, as this means that there’s less chance of mistakes or misunderstandings, and emotions can stay fairly stable.

Remember, just because you’ve been thinking about your will for a while, the conversation could come out of the blue for your family, so keeping that in mind is wise, don’t be surprised if they get emotional.

The best thing to do is to schedule a family meeting to talk things through. This way, everyone will know the topic is an important one, and they can clear space in their day to really focus on what you’ve got to say. Make sure you allow enough time for them to ask questions or put their thoughts forward; they might come up with something you hadn’t thought of, and at the very least, you can help make them feel better.

Listen To Their Concerns

Not all family members are going to have a problem with anything you’ve written in your will, and the majority of the time, they’ll listen, feel emotional about the idea of you passing away, and then get on with their lives.

However, on occasion, someone might have a concern about something, and if this is the case, don’t brush their feelings to one side, instead, make sure you listen to what’s troubling them. You might be able to solve the issue there and then, or you might even realize that they’ve got a good point and you need to re-think some things. In either case, listening to what someone has to say is a good thing to do.

Author Bio:

Freelance writer, Delicia Warren, is passionate about the environment and the impact humans are having on the world around us. After starting her career in the sustainability field, after taking a period of time to raise her two small humans, Delicia now dedicates her spare time to writing about how people can make a difference, one step at a time.