(661) 414-7100
Santa Clarita Wills and Living Trusts Attorney (661) 414-7100
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TESTIMONIALS
  • GET STARTED
  • RESOURCES
    • BLOG
    • VIDEOS
    • AUDIO
    • FREE WEBINAR
    • FREE DOWNLOAD
    • PAYMENT
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TESTIMONIALS
  • GET STARTED
  • RESOURCES
    • BLOG
    • VIDEOS
    • AUDIO
    • FREE WEBINAR
    • FREE DOWNLOAD
    • PAYMENT
  • CONTACT

law office of robert mansour

BLOG
​

(661) 414-7100

When one sibling brings mom or dad to the attorney

11/29/2013

 
Every so often, I get a call from the adult child of a potential client. For the purpose of this blog, let's call the adult child "Johnny." So, Johnny will call my office and say something like, "Mom needs to change her trust. Can we come and see you?"   First question that pops into my head is "Does Mom REALLY need to change her trust or is there something Johnny wants to change?"  I also wonder, "Why can't Mom call my office and talk to me herself?  Is she not well enough to make a change to her living trust?"  I make it clear to the person calling that my client is NOT them, but instead the senior parent for whom they are calling.

Truth is, invariably one child ends up doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the legal affairs and personal affairs of an elderly client. Sometimes, even when there are 4 or 5 children, only one of them rises to the occasion and takes mom to the store, takes mom to doctor appointments, and sometimes...takes mom to the lawyer. 

As the attorney, I have to be very careful to make sure that this child is not simply pushing their own agenda on their parents. Therefore, ultimately, the child shows up with their parent to the meeting at my office.  If it's OK with the parent, I will allow the child to remain in the room for most of the meeting. If I suspect the parent is changing everything to favor that particular child, I grow suspicious. It is true that sometimes parents do favor the children who help them the most during their elderly years. 

Nevertheless, it is my practice to always excuse the child from the room (at some point, usually near the end of the meeting) and speak candidly with the senior. I want to make sure that the plan (or change to the plan) truly reflects their wishes, and not simply the wishes of the child who brought them to the meeting. It is a dangerous line to walk sometimes. 

Therefore, I always double-check with the client to make sure it's really what they want, and not simply what their child wants. Sometimes the seniors will tell me privately that their wishes are not the same as what they articulated when the child was in the room.  In that case, we need to proceed privately in subsequent sessions without the adult child present in the room.  If the adult child insists on being involved, I will likely need to withdraw from the case.  

If you need help developing your own estate plan, call (661) 414-7100 and inquire about an initial consultation. 


Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Advance Health Care Directive
    Beneficiaries
    Blended Families
    Business Interests
    Children
    Community Property
    Disability
    Divorce
    Durable Power Of Attorney
    Estate Planning
    Estate Planning
    Estate Planning Seminars
    Executors
    Family Law
    Funding Your Trust
    General
    Guardianship
    Individual Retirement Account
    Joint Ownership
    Life Insurance
    Living Trust
    Living Trusts
    Online Resources
    Personal Property
    Probate
    Real Estate
    Separate Property
    Special Needs
    Tax Issues
    Title
    Trust Administration
    Trustees
    Trust Funding
    Wealth
    Wills

    RSS Feed

Home Page | About | Getting Started With Your Estate Plan | Free Audio Download | Testimonials 
 Estate Planning Blog | Video Library | Free Online Estate Planning Webinar | Disclaimer | Blog RSS | Contact Robert Mansour​
Visit our Google Business Page | Like Us on Facebook | Our Yahoo! Business Listing | Follow Us on Twitter | Linked In Profile | Our YouTube Channel
BrandYourself | Cornell University Listing


Santa Clarita Wills and Living Trusts Lawyer, Serving Valencia, Saugus, Castaic, Canyon Country,
Newhall, Stevenson Ranch and surrounding communities.


* The information on this website does not create an attorney/client relationship.  It is not legal advice and is presented for general informational purposes only.  Always consult with a professional when handling legal matters.  Your privacy is important to us.  Any information you submit is not shared with others.

Robert also handles Personal Injury Law - Click here to visit our separate personal injury website.

​Law Office of Robert M. Mansour | 28212 Kelly Johnson Pkwy #110, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 | www.MansourLaw.com | (661) 414-7100 
Picture