Talking with your parents about their will

A will is an important document designed to fulfil your parent’s final wishes for you and the many other people who were important to them during their lifetime. Asking your parents about their will is not about you being nosy: it is about you honouring their decisions and letting them know that you understand and respect their choices.

A will is a living document and should be updated every five years, or whenever there has been a significant life event.

In my role as a charitable gift planner I often speak with the family members who are surprised to learn that their loved one has named a charity in their will.

Often they may have had no idea that their parent supported the charity, or in some cases, many charities. When I speak to them about their parent’s giving history and of their volunteer role with the charitable organization, they are genuinely surprised. This is a side of their parent they never knew!

On more than one occasion, I’ve come away from these conversations feeling sad that they didn’t get a chance to know the person that I knew.

My challenge to all who are reading this article is to have that conversation with your parents today. Ask your parents if they have left a gift in their will to any charities.

In addition to learning more about your parents and their interests, you can also suggest reviewing their will with them, and ask them questions about the decisions they have made. Perhaps their will hasn’t been updated for a long time and there may be new grandchildren or great grandchildren to consider.

A will is a living document and should be updated every five years, or whenever there has been a significant life event.

Learning more today about your parents’ wishes allows you to have a better understanding of why they have made the decisions they have so when the time does come there are no surprises.

P.S. This may also serve as a reminder of the value to you to write or review your own will.