Debra Synovec & Associates

ESTATE PLANNING MEDIATION

PURPOSE

Estate Planning has traditionally been done by an lawyer drafting documents that reflect the estate plan for a couple.  However, estate planning frequently involves participants with potential conflicts of interest, which makes it difficult, if not impossible for an lawyer to receive all of the information needed for the lawyer to help the couple make an adequate and complete estate plan. This is particularly true now with blended families being the norm rather than the exception; however, even when the couple seems to be a happily married couple with common goals and objectives it is risky to make assumptions. 

There may be hidden emotional issues that may impede the lawyer’s ability to discover their clients’ real needs and concerns; this may be due to a client not wanting to bring something up in the presence of the other client, who is usually a spouse or child.  The spouses may have conflicting needs that the lawyer is unable to ascertain or different perspectives that are not brought up which have a material effect on the estate plan.  Consequently, clients may end up with an inadequate estate plan, or worse yet, a plan that creates havoc and acrimony between beneficiaries after the client’s death, resulting in future litigation.   

Lawyers and accountants are indispensible in estate planning; however, they frequently do not have the skills to help family members really communicate and to get to the heart of the issues, so interests and needs are excluded from the estate plan.   

PROCESS

Estate Planning Mediation provides a process for family members to have open dialogue to determine needs of the parties so that estate planning issues can be determined through open honest dialogue. 

Estate Planning Mediation is a private process in which a neutral third party facilitates the discussions between the participants to enable them to create a constructive, well thought out estate plan. 
 
Estate Planning for blended families, step siblings, and multiple marriages, has become increasingly complicated. By mediating the estate plan clients are able to work together to design an estate plan that will minimize the chance of future family conflict while accomplishing their financial goals. 

SEATTLE MEDIATOR AND COLLABORATIVE LAWYER PROVIDING DIVORCE MEDIATION, ESTATE PLANNING MEDIATION, BUSINESS MEDIATION IN KING COUNTY