Dad was wise in his end-of-life stewardship. He performed some estate planning about 11 years before his death. He gave away some money and property to those he wanted to have it while he lived. He left a clear, simple, updated will to handle the remainder after he passed away. My sister, brother, and I have a great relationship and have been in complete agreement with handling his house, other property, and vehicles, but still I admit how frustrating and slow all of this is to finish. And again, Dad was wise and a good steward. I cannot imagine the frustration of families who deal with an estate where there is no will, no planning, or little understanding of what assets exist and where they are located.
I can definitely testify and recommend that everyone would benefit from being like Dad in this regard. (1) Do some estate planning while you can. (2) Give away everything you want and can give away while you can and think about the tax implications if it matters. (3) Leave a clear, simple will that is updated after every major life event. Dad was particularly good about that, because he signed several wills during the last 25 years of his life, always preparing a new one after a major life event. He made it as easy as possible for his children to deal with his assets, and I am thankful that Dad was a good steward.
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