What’s Love Got to Do with It?, a 1983 hit single for recently departed Tina Turner, and the 1993 American biographical film title based on her life, poses a good question. What about love? How does it motivate the actions of any individual? In the movie, and sadly in real life, Ms. Turner’s husband, Ike Turner, was addicted to drugs. His kind of “love” included a lot of physical abuse. Ms. Turner serves as a role model today for victims of abuse; to get out of the relationship. Did you know she ran from him while on tour with only 36 cents to her name and a gas card?
So as we mourn Ms. Turner’s passing, it crossed my mind that for most of my clients, love has EVERYTHING to do with it – their estate planning, I mean. Yes, some folks may want to simply make sure the “wrong people” in their lives don’t inherit their hard-earned assets. But most of the time, my clients want to ensure their loved ones are well-taken care of after they die and not be unnecessarily burdened.
Estate planning, including trusts, wills, health care directives, living wills, and the like, are designed to bring guidance, order, and clarity during a most assuredly stressful and traumatic time for those left behind.
Spouses, parents, adult children, and siblings who have experienced the death of a loved one who died “intestate” (without a will) can tell you all about it. Already grieving their loved one’s loss, they had to deal with the legal ramifications of the situation. What does that mean? Going through probate, for example. Sometimes it’s straightforward. Sometimes it is not. Without a will and/or trust, family arguments about who gets what can tear a family apart forever.
When you really care, you don’t put your loved ones through that. Instead, you take the time and steps to get your affairs in order. You’ll feel good about getting that done because you’ll know you’ve done what you can to make your passing as easy on them as possible. And they’ll know how much you cared. So, as far as I’m concerned, estate planning is what love is all about; demonstrating how much you care.
If you would like to get your affairs in order or update your estate plan, don’t hesitate to call me at 513-399-7526 or visit my website at www.davidlefton.com