This book is entitled "Estate Planning for Modern Families." But what is a modern family in the 21st century?

Since before the country was founded, the traditional notion of an American family was understood to mean a heterosexual couple who married until death did part them, who naturally conceived and then raised their own children, and whose children would be expected to repeat the same pattern. However, evolving social norms and technological advances have challenged traditional notions of family and how estate planning advisors must consider their clients' needs. Broadly stated, these considerations include aspects such as: (i) changes due to marital and relationship status, (ii) gender norms and identification, (iii) various paths to parenthood, (iv) longer lifespans, (v) globalization, and (vi) technology.

Since the previous edition in 2019, there have been other significant changes to the social fabric in our country, including the global pandemic, increasing concerns about mental health, addiction and ethics, the racial justice movement and resulting backlash, and the current culture wars over all issues surrounding identity, including gender, sexuality, ethnicity and religion. This new book does not shy away from these controversial issues, but attempts instead to respectfully address them to provide helpful information to assist estate planning advisors in their interactions with diverse client families.

What's New in the 4th Edition: