Dad's Final Affairs

I wrote about the wisdom of Dad's stewardship to leave appropriate end-of-life documents and to give away much of what he had, to whomever he wanted to bless, while he lived. I forgot to follow-up about how that process ended. Fortunately, my sister, brother, and I handled Dad's final affairs as unified as his end-of-life care. I signed the final papers in February 2020 to transfer the last property deed to us and close the case with the probate judge. It is a time-consuming process regardless of your loved one's decisions. In Dad's case, he was a good steward; unfortunately, it just takes time and patience to finish the process.

I originally intended to hire Dad's attorney to handle the legal documents, but instead retained his new partner, a younger Christian that I got to know through my involvement with a local Christian summer camp when he was a teenager. He and his assistant were attentive and handled the case well. The probate case stretched out when we realized that a deed from 15 years ago was not properly drafted, meaning Dad passed away with more property in his name than any of us, including him, realized. We decided to sell the property, and given the seller-financing deal we offered the buyer, it added another 12 months to the process.

So, all in all, we fared well, and Dad was honored. In fact, we agreed that it was satisfying to care for Dad in life and mediate for him when he no longer could, then complete his final wishes after he departed. Dad's stewardship example can benefit all of us. Give away whatever and as much as you want while you live, then be sure to leave an updated, valid will to cover the rest. It is a gift of peace and will make an easier transition for those who live on down here, especially for those who know and love the Lord.

9/17/2020