Although you may have gotten the conversation going smoothly, and made sure you are as prepared as you can be, you aren’t out of the woods yet. Just as difficult as planning for the talk is facing objections from friends or family. Here are some common objections you might run up against this holiday season.
It’s too expensive
For many people–especially during a time of financial upheaval–legal matters are seen as unnecessary and too costly. In the case of some high-end probate lawyers, their objection about high costs hits the mark. But, that isn’t the only option for estate planning.
Many companies–ClearEstate included–offer cost-effective estate solutions that cost much less than the more traditional route. Estate planning is not synonymous with an expensive probate lawyer.
You just want to be in the will
This objection may stem from including questions about who the beneficiaries of the will are before listening to your loved one’s thoughts first. They need to realize that you care about them, and not just where their assets are going. Making sure to listen to them, and including questions about the beneficiaries at the end of the talk, will help make this objection come up much less.
Another way to deal with this objection is to offer proof of your motivations, as it is aimed at your reasons for bringing up the topic of estate planning in the first place. Offering reasons for your motivations being pure and altruistic (such as sharing concerns that their wishes regarding their assets won’t be realized) will help settle the situation. Offering a personal anecdote to organically strengthen your case is an even better approach.
It’s too complex and overwhelming
This final objection is one of the most common we hear at ClearEstate. Among the hundreds of statutes that govern estate law, the never-ending opinions about how to best avoid probate, feeling overwhelmed is the default reaction–for good reason.
From our own experience, the best approach is to ensure you hear and empathize with their concerns, rather than immediately try and fix them. Offering more information that simply adds to their stack of stressors may only make things work. Helping them work through those emotions and then offering advice will be much more effective.