2021 Talking About Wealth Transfer Plans: Practical Strategies to Avoid Disputes Among Beneficiaries

Original program date 5/26/2021

Transferring wealth often unearths long-deferred issues that may complicate or even subvert the best laid trust and estate plans. Heirs may have expectations about their inheritance that are unrealistic. Certain children may expect to take control of a family business. There are often interpersonal resentments or animosities among children of different marriages. Sometimes, too, there are children from a relationship that was previously unknown. These and many other issues need to be explored before plans are formulated and documents drafted. But raising these issues is a very delicate conversation which sometimes takes lawyers to the edge of their comfort zone. This program will provide you a practical guide to raising these issues and counseling clients about the legal issues involved. 

• Communicating wealth transfer plans before the death of a client
• When to have those conversations – timing is everything
• How to broach uncomfortable topics and pose unpopular choices
• Anticipating visceral reactions and strategies to avoid estrangement and dispute
• How trustee choices may impact beneficiary reactions

Note: This material qualifies for self-study credit only. Pursuant to Regulation 15.04.5, a lawyer may receive up to six hours of self-study credit in a reporting year. Self-study programs do not qualify for GAL Certification, ethics, elimination of bias or Kansas credit.