Should you tell your kids about your estate?

“Should I tell my kids about this?” is the second most common question I get after a client signs their estate planning documents. And, of course, I must give the patented lawyer answer, “It depends.”

Whether and what you tell your kids (or other beneficiaries) about your estate plan depends on a variety of factors.

How old are your kids?

If your children are minors, they don’t need to know much, if anything. Discussing the prospect of mom or dad dying can be overwhelming to even adult children, but a minor child won’t be in charge of anything, so what they need to know is minimal.

Depending on the child’s age and emotional development, you may just let them know there is a plan in place and perhaps who their guardian would be in the event of your death. The same might apply if your ch