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How political polarization is affecting estate planning

On Behalf of | Oct 7, 2024 | Estate Planning |

Politics always could arouse heated discussions, but the current political climate in the U.S. is seeing things taken to even more extreme levels. The polarization of politics, in part aided by the influence of social media, has led to a situation where many families and friends fall out over it. With elections looming, this is only likely to get worse.

This is leading to a situation where some people are deciding to alter their estate plan to remove a beneficiary who they have discovered holds opposing political views to them. 

Should you cut someone out of your estate plan because of their politics? Only you can decide if removing someone from your estate plan over political disagreements is correct. However, if you are considering it, the following tips could help:

Don’t do anything just yet

Wait a while. Don’t go running to make changes just because you had a big argument over politics. You never know, the person might call you up in a week or a month telling you they have reflected on the discussion and are coming around to some of the points you made. Or, as with many arguments, it might soon diminish in importance for you.

Think about whether their opinions really matter

No two people will agree on everything. Perhaps you could just agree to avoid the subject in the future and focus on what you value about each other. You’ve probably worked and hung out with plenty of people who had wildly opposing political views in the past without a problem.

Do it properly if you wish to proceed

If, after consideration, you wish to go ahead and remove a person from your estate plan, then be sure to get legal guidance to do so in a way that reduces the chance they can challenge it when you are gone.