Talking with parents about estate planning can feel delicate. The conversation touches on independence, privacy, health and family relationships. I encourage adult children to approach it as an offer of support, with time to listen and room for their parents to decide what they wish to share.
Begin with their wishes
Choose a comfortable time and explain what prompted the conversation. You might mention that you are organizing your own documents and ask whether they would like help reviewing theirs. A practical opening is often easier than beginning with questions about an inheritance.
Ask what matters most to them: remaining at home, supporting a spouse, providing for family, continuing charitable giving or having a particular person help with decisions. Listen before offering solutions. Your parents do not owe you an inheritance or a detailed explanation of every financial choice.
If they prefer to speak privately with their attorney or another adviser, support that choice. A meeting without family members present can give them space to express their own wishes freely.
Offer practical help, with permission
If your parents welcome assistance, help organize a list of important documents, professional contacts, accounts and insurance policies. Ask where signed originals are stored and how the appropriate person could obtain them when needed.
Keep sensitive account details and digital-access information secure. Knowing a password or where an account is held does not necessarily give someone legal authority to use it. Do not ask parents to surrender control of their accounts merely to make your own recordkeeping easier.
Useful documents to discuss may include a will, any trust, beneficiary designations, a durable financial power of attorney and health care planning documents. Each serves a different purpose. The people named should understand the roles and be willing to serve.
Respond carefully to concerns about capacity
A decision you disagree with is not, by itself, proof that a parent lacks capacity. If you notice meaningful changes in memory, understanding or daily functioning, a conversation with an appropriate health care professional may be helpful, while respecting the parent’s rights and circumstances.
Legal capacity depends on the particular decision or document. Existing planning documents and less restrictive forms of support should be considered before assuming that a guardianship is needed. Florida’s guardianship law expressly emphasizes alternatives that preserve a person’s rights as much as possible.
Verras Law can help with preventive estate planning. We generally do not accept new guardianship matters except for existing clients. For new guardianship matters outside that scope, we can help arrange a referral to trusted colleagues.
Keep the relationship at the center
This may be a series of conversations rather than a single meeting. A patient, respectful approach can make it easier for parents to ask for help when they want it. I am happy to help families organize these questions and consider the next practical step.
Sources: Florida policy favoring less restrictive alternatives to guardianship; Florida power-of-attorney duties.
Updated October 26, 2026.