Hi there,
I used one of my mom’s rings as my engagement ring. Instead of waiting to be asked, I showed up with warm cookies and a note that read, “Will you marry me?”
He said yes. The cookies didn’t hurt either.
That ring mattered because it was my mom’s. It carried love, memory, and connection. But in estate planning, those same objects (rings, watches, handbags, even napkin holders) can carry the last thing you want: drama and division. And sadly, you can’t always win hearts with warm cookies…
This week’s
Tuesday Triage grew out of two sharp questions from my daughter, April:
- What happens if you forget to list something in your Will?
- Or if two people are named to receive the same item, like a piece of jewelry?
In today’s episode we cover:
- Why jewelry and other tangible personal property are often the #1 spark for family disputes
- What “specific bequests” mean, and why wording like “my diamond ring” isn’t nearly specific enough
- What happens if the person you name in your Will dies before you (and how anti-lapse laws can change the outcome)
- How the “residuary estate” clause, the catch-all of your Will, keeps forgotten assets from slipping into intestacy
- The role of the executor when family members can’t agree, and why giving them authority matters
Clarity in your Will doesn’t just keep the peace. It saves your family from conflict, court costs, and heartbreak.
