Opening the Channels of Communication: Take the Secrecy out of Estate Planning

Importance of Values:  Address your wishes and bestow your values.  It is becoming increasingly popular to express your thoughts in an “ethical will.”  In an ethical will, you have the opportunity to write out your life’s lessons and hopes and dreams to the next generation. An ethical will is not a legal document, but it can provide comfort and a lasting legacy for your family. For examples of  an ethical will, please see [www.ethicalwill.com] 

Clarity in your estate plan:  Mediation clarifies underlying needs, interests, emotions and motivations of parents, family members, and heirs. When you mediate at Peace Talks, you will have the opportunity to ensure that the gift you wish to bestow on a beneficiary will truly benefit and not burden them. 

Addressing uncomfortable issues:  Family members have the opportunity to address unspoken or uncomfortable issues that may result in a future dispute. At Peace Talks, we understand that talking to your family about an estate plan can be awkward.  Families find it easier to avoid the entire topic altogether.  However, ignoring estate planning can end up costing your family immensely, not only financially but emotionally. We believe that  you will be glad you had any difficult discussions before it’s too late to have the conversation.  Peace Talks mediators are trained to create an environment where difficult issues are dealt with constructively, compassionately, and thoroughly.   

Everyone has a voice:  Mediators make sure that everyone has the opportunity to speak.  Peace Talks mediators work effectively to allow everyone to voice their concerns, discover any hidden agendas, and deal with any growing resentments.   

Understanding all points of view:  Allows parents to work with their children to ensure that the gifts that they wish to bestow on their children are in their best interest and proper. Many times a parent may think that their child wants a particular family asset, such as a family business.  However, after some discussion in mediation, it might be discovered that their child actually sees the business as a burden and wants to pursue their own personal goals.  Peace Talks mediators use proven mediation skills and tools to create open lines of communication between all the parties involved. 

Building Consensus:  Mediation brings all the surviving family members together to discuss their views openly, clear up misperceptions and misunderstandings, and resolve estate and trust conflicts by building consensus.  Peace Talks mediators have years of experience and training to facilitate the creation of an estate plan that all the parties could agree with.  

Avoid Will Contests and Sibling Disputes: Often when estates become settled through litigation, formal court proceedings determine fault in one party over the other.  A court adjudication naming one party the “winner” and the other the “loser” does not foster happy family relations.

Benefits of Estate Planning Mediation:

• Create an Estate Plan tailored to your unique family
• Discuss your plan in a confidential setting
• Preserve family harmony
• Open channels of communication