January 1, 2005 10:06 PM
After Writing a Will, You Still Have I's to Dot
Excerpt: A lack of planning can also limit the ability of children to carry out their parents' wishes, according to many financial experts who are familiar with estate planning.
SIX years ago, Peggy Hathaway's mother, who had Alzheimer's disease, called her daughter to say that she could not find her stock and bond certificates.
Ms. Hathaway, now 58, flew from Washington, D.C., to her mother's home in Menlo Park, Calif., where she spent three days searching for the certificates before finding them behind an antique organ in the family room. This was one example, Ms. Hathaway said, of how her mother's finances weren't in order.
As her mother's health deteriorated, Ms. Hathaway said she and other family members spent considerable time and "well into the thousands of dollars" in legal fees to sort out the finances.
Although Ms. Hathaway's mother, who died in 2003, had put her home into a trust, she had not created a detailed record of her other assets or explained how she wanted them divided among her relatives. "It's gut-wrenching enough to have a mother succumb to a disease like Alzheimer's, but then to have to deal with the financial mess exacerbates everything," said Ms. Hathaway, a lawyer. "It's just horrendous."
Many people, of course, don't like the thought of planning for the eventual disposal of their assets. But when people fail to make estate-planning decisions while they are alive and well, the results for their heirs can be costly and stressful.
A lack of planning can also limit the ability of children to carry out their parents' wishes, according to many financial experts who are familiar with estate planning.
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