For those who are not familiar with the process, estate planning can seem like an incredibly overwhelming task that they would rather not deal with. Others put off dealing creating an estate plan because they are uncomfortable confronting the notion of their own mortality. In some cases, Florida residents might insist they do not care how their assets are distributed after their death. While these concerns are understandable, they should not prevent anyone from creating at least a basic plan.
Estate plans are important for ensuring that a person’s wishes are respected and carried out. However, there is also another important application — easing the grieving process for surviving family members. When a person passes away without so much as a will, everything falls on their family to deal with.
When one woman unexpectedly lost her mother in Jan. 2018, she was never able to fully grieve and is still struggling to go through that process. Her mother’s death was unexpected, and she had not left behind an estate plan. Rather than staying by her mother’s side in hospice, the woman had to frequently leave to deal with paperwork for her estate. Had the estate been in order, the woman could have focused on simply being with her mother during her final moments.
Creating an estate plan does not have to be an expensive or complicated endeavor. Even those who do the bare minimum of creating a will listing their property and how it should be distributed can remove an enormous weight from their loved ones’ shoulders. However, those who put a little more time and effort into the process can simplify things even more, giving Florida families the time and space they need to fully mourn.