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It's Valentine's season and we here at Philipps & Graham are a full-service law firm… and that means we want to help you keep the romance alive in your relationship. To that end, we have a special Valentine’s Day dating guide broken into steps that can help spice up any date night! 😉
PG Law Valentine’s Day Date Night Guide
Step One: Get your favorite dessert, drink or whatever you enjoy and find a quiet place.
Step Two: Open up your estate planning binder and turn to the tab titled “Memorial Instructions."
Step Three: Have a detailed conversation about what type of service/memorial you and your loved one would want to have if you passed away. If you want to really go overboard for Valentine’s Day you could even discuss whether it is a good time to prepay for your burial/funeral. Write down your wishes.
The National Institute of Health cites disagreements among siblings about funeral/interment arrangements as the most frequent source of stress/conflict after someone dies.
Sure, you may no longer be here when the fighting occurs, but why not take this Valentine’s Day to settle one more fight between your kids before it ever starts!
Step Four: Think about bank accounts and other assets you own. (Remember, by staying in on Valentine’s Day you have helped preserve funds!) Go to the tab in your binder titled "Funding Instructions" and review what you are supposed to do with your various financial accounts to ensure they do not go through probate when you die.
Nothing says "I care about you" quite like making sure the surviving spouse/heirs do not have to experience the frustration and cost of probate when a loved one dies. Take these funding instructions seriously.
Step Five: Remind your spouse or loved one that even though they may be angry with you for planning their memorial on Valentine’s Day, they will have the pleasure of knowing they will be interred right next to you forever. (That should calm them down and help refocus them on the romance of Valentine’s Day.)
Step Six: Go to sleep peacefully – even if on the couch – knowing that you have saved your family stress and hardship upon your passing by taking these important steps.
CAUTION: I have never been asked for romantic advice by anyone. My wife and I have an annual tradition where I take her to Wendy’s every year on Valentine’s Day, so you may want to factor that into whether you take my advice on this.
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