Houston Estate Lawyer: 3 Talking Points to Help Your Reluctant Spouse Get Serious About Estate Plann

Reviewed by Attorney Kim Hegwood Published June 22, 2017

Need help motivating your spouse to meet with a Houston Estate lawyer? In my experience, I have found that the planning process is usually initiated by one spouse and is often met with hesitation by the other. It is understandable why one or both spouses would be reluctant to meet with an estate planner. Thinking about our death is scary, and many people will avoid any attempt to broach the subject.

Unfortunately, while we stick our heads in the sand, life continues to happen, and our need to create an estate plan does not lessen. But you know that, right? So, below I have laid out the top three excuses I hear, as well as a few quick talking points that you can use to help your spouse understand the necessity of planning for the future.

1. “We have plenty of time to deal with this…” is the most common objection to creating an estate plan. Most people want to wait until later in life before creating an estate plan, but this is a mistake. As you know, tragedy can strike at any time. People also mistakenly believe that they only need an estate plan if they have a great fortune. Estate planning is much more than dividing your assets. With an estate plan, you can can ensure that there are guardians named who can care for your kids if you die while they are still young, or appoint someone you trust to make financial or medical decisions if you are incapacitated.
2. “If something happens to me, you (the spouse) will inherit everything anyway…” is another common excuse you might hear to avoid creating an estate plan. While the spouse will inherit the majority of the estate, this is not a good reason for not creating an estate plan. What if something happens to both partners? If you have children, who do you want to raise your them if something happens? With an estate plan, you can make your wishes known and avoid long and costly custody battles for your loved ones. If you are on a second marriage, then you won’t inherit without a plan.
3. If all else fails, you can remind your spouse that you, in fact, already have an estate plan. You have the default estate plan created by the state of Texas, and the state does not take any of your wishes into consideration. The process of settling one’s estate through the courts is long, expensive, and stressful for your loved ones. With an estate plan, this can all be avoided. Children of second marriages are usually disinherited.

There are many more advantages to be gained from creating an estate plan and absolutely no advantages for doing nothing. An estate lawyer in Houston will be able to create a plan that is right for you and will never pressure you to into doing anything before you are really ready. Call our office today to start this difficult, but necessary, conversation.