Estate Planning Through Family Meetings: Without Breaking Up the Family

by Lynne Butler

Estate planning and writing a will are among the last things families want to think about, and yet they are so important. You want to ensure that your parents have their affairs in order before they pass away, but you probably don't want to bring it up and risk upsetting them or looking greedy. Estate Planning through Family Meetings (without breaking up the family) presents an easier way to handle estate through a process of meetings and notetaking. As author and lawyer Lynne Butler explains, holding a family meeting to discuss what should happen to a parent's estate is an effective method, because it allows each member of the family to talk openly, ask questions, and work together, so that everyone feels they've had their say. Using the steps outlined in the book, the author shows you how to plan ahead, hold meetings with your family, learn how to document the plan, and make it legal. She covers the issues you'll need to be aware of to do it properly, the legal consequences of insufficient planning, and how to deal with special circumstances such as family businesses, cottages, and trusts. The book includes a CD-ROM for use on a Windows-based PC, that is loaded with checklists and tools to help the process along and ensure nothing is forgotten.

Genres: Business

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2010

About the author

I'm a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience in estate planning and probate. I write about the law in a down-to-earth way that individuals, families, and businesses can really understand and use to plan their financial and personal futures, or to deal with estate administration.

I'm a frequent public speaker for businesses, non-profit groups, conventions, and the public. I've been interviewed on BNN, Global TV, CityTV, CPAC, CBC Radio, Maclean's Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Vancouver Province, and the Edmonton Journal.

I'm the former host of The Law Show on VOCM Radio.

I'm the chair of the Wills and Estates Section of the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar Admission Course.

I'm also the editor of Mensa Canada's national magazine.

Reviews

[Lise Andreana]

Useful tool for families of wealth who wish to tread the delicate waters of writing a will to satisfy all parties