This weekend I was driving my family to an ice skating outing and both girls had a friend each for a fun evening. As we were driving, I heard my youngest say to her friend “We don’t need that, we make our own drama.”

I have no idea what they were talking about, and that is the only statement that rose above the other conversations, but it stuck out to me.

It will resonate with any girl parent.

Fast forward 24 hours and we are meeting with a group of parents about the reasons to have an updated estate plan in place, including a Will (The “why” to have a will is an entirely different post, but you can get one drafted by emailing Kara Daniels Hand.) During the conversation, I advised the parents in the room that they should give a copy of the will to every person named. From the Executor to the guardian, to the heirs. Everyone should have a copy. When we amend or redraft the will, we should make sure that everyone gets the update.

In a television drama-saturated society, we think that the Will should be kept a secret, closely guarded until after the last breath, where we all then sit around an ornate desk in a cold law office for the reading of the will.

But, as with most of reality, life should not emulate art.

In the days after death, nothing is worse than finding out that our expectations weren’t met - or that we suddenly have a new legal obligation - or that we have been named guardian of minor children - or that we didn’t inherit all the shares to the family company.

Here are the steps you should take immediately:

• Have your estate plan updated if it is more than 5 years old or if you have recently had a life change (birth/death/lottery-winnings/new Grammy award record)

• Put the originals of your estate plan (will, trust documents, living wills, powers of attorney, etc.) in one notebook along with your insurance documents and bank records. Include your funeral wishes here too.

  • Keep this in a firebox IN YOUR HOUSE.

  • Do not put it in a safe deposit box.

  • Tape the key to the box. Remember, the point is to keep it safe but make it easy to access.

  • Make sure your spouse and children know where this is located.

• Send a copy of your will and powers of attorney to any person named in them - Executor, guardians, trustees, and heirs. If your children are not named specifically, send it to them too.

• Live peacefully knowing that you have everything in order according to YOUR wishes and that you have taken care of your loved ones.

From the Linkiverse

I am on LinkedIn daily. It is part business development, part discipline, and part because I want to. This was the content of the post that got the most attention last week:

Would you take $10m if it meant that you only got one more day of life?

You had to spend it all today.
There would be no more tomorrow.
❌ no more sunrises.
❌ no more children's laughs.
❌ no more intimate moments.

Your answer is likely no. You wouldn't trade your life for all the money in the world.

You have just defined your worth!

Now - go act like the person you are - a person who is more valuable than all the riches ever!

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