Playing around with Chat GPT

Hello everyone,

I hope this email finds you well. I was commenting the other day to my son (age 9) about how work isn't as bad if you like what you do. While "lawyering" isn't everyone's favorite, I was handed off quite a few very likeable people by Howard Wiggins and I'm grateful for that everyday.

I only mention my son because it's now officially summer vacation for kids age 1-17 and we're about to head off for some camping fun here soon. Therefore, I won't be able to handle any immediate issues that easily from June 24th until July 11th. But, rest assured, Regi will be answering phones and I'm available for your pressing needs so you're not entirely cut off. Remember though that if you interrupt my vacation with family, you're stealing from my children! Haha.

But, in the interim, I've been playing around with Chat GPT which I think will inevitably become the newest way to "search" for information in the future. I often find articles about estate planning that would be helpful to clients, but they are too long to pass along in their entirety. So, I asked my robot overlords for a summary of articles I found interesting in 75 words or less and it immediately gave me the following below. If the titles catch your fancy, I think the abbreviated articles are a good summation of the topic. If not, how long does it take to read 75 words anyway!

1. WSJ article "More Inheritors Sell Than Keep Parents' Homes" - The rising costs of renovations, property taxes and utilities are making it harder for adult children to hold on to inherited homes. Many heirs are selling the homes to cash in on the high home prices and fund their finances. Vacation homes are more likely to be kept by heirs, especially if they are in appealing locations.

Here are some of the key points from the article:

• More than 70% of people who expect to inherit a home from their parents plan to sell it.

• Rising costs are a bigger part of the calculus these days when heirs decide whether or not to keep an inherited house.

• Vacation homes and secondary properties are more likely to be kept by heirs, at least for a few years.

• Taxes remain a key reason many heirs sell relatively soon.

2. How 'Swedish Death Cleaning Became the New 'Tidying Up' - Swedish death cleaning, also known as döstädning, is the practice of decluttering your belongings in advance of your death to avoid burdening your loved ones with the task. The concept has gained popularity in recent years, thanks to a bestselling book and a new reality TV series. Death cleaning is not about getting rid of everything you own, but rather about making thoughtful decisions about what is important to you and what you want to leave behind.

Here are some of the key points from the article:

• Swedish death cleaning is a decluttering practice that originated in Sweden.

• The goal of death cleaning is to reduce the amount of clutter you leave behind for your loved ones to deal with after you die.

• Death cleaning can be a way to come to terms with your own mortality and to make sure that your belongings are passed on to people who will appreciate them.

• There are many different ways to approach death cleaning, but the most important thing is to start early and to be thoughtful about your decisions.

3. "Can I Tell My Parents That Their Estate Plan Hurts My Feelings?" Estate planning is a personal decision, and parents have the right to distribute their assets as they see fit. However, if their estate plan hurts your feelings, it's important to talk to them about it. Be respectful and try to understand their reasoning, but also be honest about how you feel. It's possible that they didn't realize how their plan would affect you, and they may be willing to make changes.

Here are some of the key points from the article:

• Estate planning is a personal decision, and parents have the right to distribute their assets as they see fit.

• If their estate plan hurts your feelings, it's important to talk to them about it.

• Be respectful and try to understand their reasoning, but also be honest about how you feel.

• It's possible that they didn't realize how their plan would affect you, and they may be willing to make changes.

All these summaries were kicked out in seconds by new AI ("Artificial Intelligence") technology. I say, "Why fight it?" Put your favorite book titles into these search engines and see whether the summary matches your expectations. This technology is coming. Don't fight it. Check it out! (At least until July 11th)!

Happy Summer!

Jason Ebert