It’s natural to experience grief when we lose a loved one. While we often associate grief with the death of a loved one, we can also experience it when we get divorced or when ties with a friend become severed.

Everyone experiences grief differently. Some are able to move on, while others are unable to process their loss. This is referred to as “complicated grief” and occurs when an individual remains in a state of acute grief for a prolonged period. It can be so debilitating that professionals may refer to it as a disease.

During complicated grief, symptoms of loss, bitterness or detachment can cause confusion or disorganized thinking, and a whirlpool of emotions. Counseling is sometimes needed to help guide the individual back to calmer waters.

Confiding in someone you trust can be helpful in healing the pain of loss. Estate planning is all about trust and listening. Candid conversations between a grieving client and an estate attorney help the attorney understand what the client has been through.

Listening to clients speak openly provides the attorney with a solid foundation for an estate plan. A deeper understanding of the clients’ grief also makes it possible for the attorney to serve as a resource if they need help with other life challenges.


STEPHEN B. YIM, ATTORNEY AT LAW
2054 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI 96826
808-524-0251 | www.stephenyimestateplanning.com
Source: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/complicated-grief/symptoms-causes/syc-20360374