Lights, Camera . . . Last Words

The Wealth Adviser Report in the WSJ includes this article on the pros and cons of videos made to accompany wills.

On the one hand, they can ward off trouble:

Dennis O'Doherty, an attorney in Sayville, N.Y., had a client who taped her will-signing because she was concerned that a problem child, to whom she was leaving less than her other children, would cause a fuss. She was right.

The adult child's attorney contacted Mr. O'Doherty earlier this year, after the mother had died, to say the child intended to contest the will, believing the mother hadn't been mentally fit to execute the document. Mr. O'Doherty told the attorney about the video and invited the attorney to his office to watch it. In the end, the child decided against moving ahead with a legal fight, Mr. O'Doherty says.

On the other . . .

Attorneys generally caution against homemade videos, saying they are more likely to cause problems than those produced in consultation with an attorney. A video filmed by a beneficiary, for example, could give rise to conflict-of-interest questions.*** [V]ideos, whether used for estate or legacy planning, aren't substitutes for in-person discussions.