The Death Readiness Podcast: Not your dad’s estate planning podcast
How to Prevent your Estate Plan from Becoming a Family Battlefield
Episode Notes
What happens when no one agrees on who should manage a loved one’s care—or their money? Jill talks with Sara Ecklein, a professional fiduciary in California, to talk about what goes wrong when we don’t plan ahead. From costly legal fights to irreparable family breakdowns, they unpack how a neutral third party can step in before conflict becomes a catastrophe.
They also explore what it means to be a mindful fiduciary, how family dynamics get complicated when siblings are put in charge, and why planning isn’t just about documents; it’s about legacy.
What Jill and Sara discuss:
- What a professional fiduciary actually does (and why it’s more than just “cutting checks”)
- The roles of trustee and agent under a power of attorney, and how they differ
- What it means to be a mindful fiduciary (and how presence, empathy, and neutrality can positively impact a family’s experience)
- The emotional and financial cost of family conflict when no one plans for death or incapacity
- A real-life Michigan guardianship case and what it reveals about court involvement and family discord
- Why naming a sibling as trustee can lead to fractured relationships
- How a trust protector can act as a “watchdog” without being involved in the day-to-day management of a trust
- The difference between a “successful” estate plan on paper vs. in real life
- Planning ahead for your own death, even if you're a professional fiduciary like Sara Ecklein
- The power of legacy, and why estate planning is about how you live, not just what you leave behind
Resources & Links
Learn more about Sara Ecklein:
Connect with Jill: