Swedish Death Cleaning Coming to the U.S.

The practice of law involves many roles: advising clients, researching statutes, following changes in federal law, drafting documents, and on particularly fun days -- being a guest on Wisconsin Public Radio!  This past October I was invited to be a guest on Central Time for a discussion of Swedish Death Cleaning, billed as the next biggest fad to hit the US. 

Swedish Death Cleaning is a Scandinavian concept designed to encourage people to review their possessions, doing away with the unneeded and making a plan for the beloved.  The book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson hits American book stores January 2, 2018.  My copy is already preorderd, and a more specific review will be appear in my newsletter and here on Navigator in January 2018. 

Based on what I've read thus far, I have two things to add.  First, don't wait until you 80s to tackle the clutter.  My father died at 67, my mom died at 70, leaving me a ranch house filled with items to distribute, recycle, re-home or trash.  We are not guaranteed our 80s, don't put off until then what you can do today.  Second, don't overlook digital clutter -- social media, digital photos, web sites, blogs, and all sorts of other e-items are growing and growing.  One day they'll need to be purged.

Here is a link to the show on Central Time.  Enjoy, and happy de-cluttering!  We are making 2018 a year to purge as though we were moving, even though we are not moving.  Thanks for reading, and be well.

Estate Planning: Want it to be easy after you're gone? It's the "who", not the "what" that matters most.

Routinely clients state "I want to make it as easy as possible on my loved ones after I am gone.  Should I do a trust instead of a will?"  My answer usually causes their head to cock slightly, not expecting my response.

"It's not so much the vehicle or tool of estate planning you choose that makes things easier and less messy, it's the person you nominate to be in charge.  If the person nominated is overwhelmed, unskilled in these types of decisions, or caustic, you'll have a mess whether it's a will or a trust."  And then I see their heads nod, yes, in agreement.

"Who will be in charge" becomes a critical question.  My suggestion to clients is to aim for Switzerland: who is neutral, precise, and efficient?  That may be a relative, a close family friend, or possibly an institution like a bank or accounting firm.

When attempting to fill this role in your end of life affairs, picture the people you are considering doing the following:

• if you have a will, filing it with the court;
• closing all active banking and investment accounts;
• notifying and paying all final creditors;
• filing your last income tax;
• selling your real estate, vehicles and other property;
• distributing family photographs and other personal items;
• disposing of unused medications;
• re-homing any pet companions you  may have had; and
• emptying the contents of your home all the way to cleaning out the fridge.

It's a lot of work.  It's emotional work.  It's work that may ruffle feathers within a family.  Who will be neutral.  Who will follow your wishes.  Who will not be crippled my emotion?  Who will not be afraid to tackle the expenses and numbers?  When you do that analysis you increase the chances your departure from Mother Earth will be less difficult on the loved ones you leave behind.  

Thank you for reading, and remember that a blog is not legal advice.  You should always consult with an attorney in your home state to obtain up-to-date information specific to your situation.

What's The Best Age to Release the Inheritance?

A significant part of my practice involves drafting testamentary trusts for parents with young children, usually aged 18 or younger.  A testamentary trust is a will that says I leave my probate assets to my spouse, but if my spouse has predeceased, then to a trust for my children.  This type of trust does not exist until both parents are deceased, and is created as part of the probate process.  It is not the same as a living revocable trust, which is created during life to hold assets while you are alive.
When creating a testamentary trust parents need to name a primary and secondary trustee. This is the person (or institution) that will invest the funds in the trust, file tax returns, and decide on how the monies are spent until the trust ends.  Which leads to the next question, when does the trust end?  "Most clients write until my youngest living child reaches age 25 or 28" is what I share with my clients.  "Personally, my wills says until my youngest living child reaches age 30 -- I adore my children, but I am aware of studies indicating the brain is still growing and forming into the mid-20s."

Often times clients are stunned when they hear the number 30, and question my decision.  Then I go on with more stories from my personal experience.  At the age of 40 I had lost both of my parents and received a small inheritance.  And I could not believe how many friends and family were encouraging me to "spend a little" on myself.  Day in and out for nearly as year people would say "come on, you've been through hell, treat yourself".  For a brief time I thought they were right. -- "a simple pair of diamond stud earrings would be practical, something I could wear for work, and one day pass on to my daughter" -- was a pattern of thought I had daily.  Then I looked at the prices, and there were more zeros than my frugal heart could handle.  In the end I bought piece of mind and put the inheritance in a brokerage account.

My fake diamond earrings are a standard piece of my work attire, and so now is this nugget to think about.....your child may be lovely, stable, and frugal.....but when they get an inheritance all the "shoppers" in their life will be more than eager to help them spend the money.  In the end a client sets the age they feel is right for their family.  But when making that decision, factor in the influence of others, both those who mean well and those who may want to take advantage of someone grieving.

Winter Break 2016 we took a road trip to Arkansas and went to Crater of Diamonds State Park, the only pubic park in the US where someone can dig for diamonds.  If you find one, you keep it.

The perfect way for the kids, then 8 and 6, to spend an afternoon.  Digging in the mud.  No diamonds were found.  And that is the closets I'll ever get to acquiring real diamonds.

Probate Completed, Where Are the Balloons?

For the past 12 to 18 months, possibly longer, you the Personal Representative in a Wisconsin probate have gathered papers, filed taxes, written checks, emptied the fridge, sold the car, distributed the family photographs, written more checks, and have your signature notarized more times than you can recall.  And now the day is here, the day you file the FINAL papers to close the estate.  The last bill to the lawyer is paid, you have free time in your calendar once again.  Things settle down into a new routine, the routine after the loss of a loved one, the routine after the work of the probate, and it feels like something is missing. You did it -- yet those filed court papers just slide off into an abyss.  Will you get a mailing from the court, some sort of official notice that you completed this marathon of a task?

If you are a Personal Representative in a Wisconsin probate the answer is simple, no.  There is no fan fare, no balloon drop, no confetti falling from the sky, not even a ribbon saying you crossed the finish line.  All there is is an entry in the CCAP system stating:

"Probate  -- Closed - File Retained Electronic"

That's it.  A one line entry closing out a challenging job completed during emotionally draining times.  Government has limited resources, and likely does not have the capacity to send out a form let alone a congratulations.  But I'll leave one here for you via You Tube -- enjoy, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Thoughts on The Nest: A Novel

Recently I had a chance to sit down with a book that had been on my "to-read" list for some time, The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney.  A work of fiction, the author weaves a complex story line surrounding four adult siblings and the ripple effect of one siblings reckless actions. The book opens with a scathing accident caused by the eldest Plumb child, unleashing a family drama when the mother uses the family trust, lovingly called The Nest by the family, to pay for medical bills of a victim of the accident.  With promises to repay The Nest by the eldest, the book takes the readers into the world of adult children who have spent and counted on these funds prior to the monies scheduled release, the pending 40th birthday of the youngest Plumb child.

From a story point of view, the book is excellent. Complex and vivid characters, unexpected development, and a very nice pace.  However, do not read this book if you want to learn the correct names and functions of powers of attorney and trustee.  Time and time again the author uses incorrect legal terms or glosses over issues that would normally materialize in such a fact pattern.  As an estate planner, this was a difficult book to read.  There is already enough myth and misconception related to estate planning.  But if you are looking for an engaging beach read, pick this up and realize it's fiction!