It appears that voting habits are just that habits according to Perri Klass, M.D. in a 2016 New York Times article. The fact that family norms impacts the conduct of the children in a family hardly needs citation. The article does point to research with provides that if you vote in your first three elections, you are likely to continue voting.
There is a certain inertia that is created when you approach a novel situation. Perhaps that is why there’s truth in the old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” When faced with a new situation, you establish the routines and expectations going forward.
The same hold true when appointed as either a trustee or an executor. The way you first handle those responsibilities paves the way for what the family should expect. Each person should consider the consequences of their loss because, the process of family members picking the pieces after the death of a loved one is normally something new for the family members. The courts are filled with cases, and we see them in our practice, where family members lose all trust for one another after the death of the head of the family.
The sad truth is, this family disharmony could have been avoided by organizing your affairs in advance. You can set expectations and leave a road map for the family to follow. It is this reason that estate planning is not solely about taxes, administration, and asset protection. When done correctly, the family unit is preserved.
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