Afraid to write your Will? Here is how to overcome your fears

Tip: Writing a Will is not a negative thing to do. See it as an opportunity to pass your hard-earned wealth in a structured and well-thought manner as the best gift to your family.

You like to plan for events where you can witness the results

Further the lackluster attitude to plan may be attributed to the fact that you won’t be present to witness the results of such a plan.

This is partially true. Estate Planning enables you to not only plan how your wealth will be distributed after your lifetime but also helps you use tools such as private family trust, gift deed, power of attorneys and so on that will be beneficial during your lifetime too. It is important to have a holistic approach to this exercise to safeguard the interests of both your family and you.

Tip: Think about making arrangements during your lifetime for how your money would be used, once you are gone.

Also read: Why the rich must make life insurance an integral part of estate planning

Fear of pandora’s box of family conflicts

Fear is another reason for procrastinating to plan. Often individuals are apprehensive that undertaking the exercise of merely writing your Will may open a pandora’s box of family conflicts. Though you have always been taught “Failing to plan is planning to fail” ironically you tend to ignore planning for the most important event of your lifetime. Of course, estate planning is a sensitive topic wherein you also need to consider the emotional aspects attached to it but not at the cost of ignoring it completely.

Tip: Plan ahead, way ahead. Write a will when you are in your 40s, by which time your progeny is more or less decided and you have a clear idea of how you would want your wealth to be distributed. Infact, in the absence of a Will, family conflicts are quite possible. A well-written, well-planned and documented Will can avoid conflicts later if there are multiple heirs.

Also read: Follow these 7 steps to transfer assets smoothly to heirs after your time

Behavioral biases take you away from rationality

As in the case of investments, you tend to hold onto similar biases when it comes to planning for your estate too.  A popular bias being holding onto the belief that what has happened in the past is going to repeat in the future as well (known as extrapolation bias).

For instance, if your forefathers never prepared a Will or undertook any sort of estate planning, you tend to believe your family too will be able to inherit your estate hassle-free without a plan. Notwithstanding the fact, that times have changed wherein assets are no longer simple, regulations are ever evolving and processes to inherit are cumbersome as compared to the days of our ancestors.

Further, your social circle also tends to influence you whereby you fall for the herd mentality.

Tip: It is important you think independently as to what is important for your loved ones. To avoid the pitfalls of not having an estate plan, it’s fine to take ‘the road less travelled’.

Procrastination

As you tend to believe that an estate plan has greater relevance post your lifetime, you tend to procrastinate as you do not see its relevance ‘now’. Also, the fact that you have to deal with questions like ‘Which family member receives which asset?’ might be emotionally challenging.

The easiest coping strategy to deal with such emotional heavy situations is to procrastinate. However, life is unpredictable. Death doesn’t come knocking. Moreover, with age, you might become incapable and you may not remain one of a sound mind. At that time, making a Will can be next to impossible.

Tip: Making a Will should not be viewed as morbid. It’s a celebration as you get to choose the deserving candidates in your family to pass the baton. Ensure that your legacy continues and that your coming generations truly understands the worth of your estate and more importantly how much you care and love them.