They forget about you in 3 days
I remember my father used to say when someone dies they
forget about you in 3 days???. As a young kid, I thought how would someone forget
about a loved one that has passed in just three days?
Well, as I have been working in my career as a CPA, I think
I found out what he meant by that. They forget about the one that has passed
and turn their attention to what they may receive in the estate. The tax man is
not the scariest part of an estate to me, the potential destruction of the
family left behind is.
I could go into many stories about families that have been
ripped apart over fighting over someones estate. No more thanksgiving parties,
Christmas gatherings, kids games all because you could not come to some kind of
settlement over mom's lake cottage, the family business or the antique clock in
the corner of the room. Remember this is not 1950. Families are broad and Dad
may have had two wives and two sets of families in his life. That is a lot
individuals that feel they have a claim to whatever Dad had. Some are nice and
ethical people and some are not. It gets ugly and I hope to never go through
that with my siblings.
If the individual that passed could see their family now, I
have to believe that they would be very disappointed and also angry with
themselves that they did not take the time and financial investment to secure a
smooth and proper transition to their family members.
So to all of you that are in this situation or may be in
this situation, do yourself a favor, see a qualified attorney and start the
process, have the courage to make the tough decisions while you are alive. The
biggest gift you can leave behind after you pass is an intact and happy family.
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