5 Estate planning lessons from Game of Thrones

“In the game of thrones, you win, or you die.” This quote from Game of Thrones captures Westeros’s ruthless struggle for power and legacy.

While dragons, knights, and medieval intrigue might seem far removed from our modern lives, the Targaryens’ complex family dynamics and political maneuvers offer surprising parallels to estate planning challenges.¹

How can we learn from these valuable lessons about careful and strategic estate planning?

1. The importance of clear succession

King Viserys’s failure to clearly name a successor and the resulting power vacuum illustrate the catastrophic consequences of not having a well-defined Will.

In the real world, unclear or ambiguous estate plans can lead to prolonged legal battles, fractured family relationships, and significant financial losses.

To avoid such outcomes, it’s essential to state your wishes regarding the distribution of your assets explicitly.

2. Protecting your assets for future generations

The legacy of dragons represents the wealth and power that the Targaryen family seeks to protect and preserve. Just as the Targaryens invest time and resources in raising and maintaining their dragons, you should carefully manage and protect your assets.

This mirrors the real-world need to safeguard valuable assets for future generations. Whether it’s real estate, investments, or family heirlooms, ensuring that valuable assets are preserved and passed down can secure your family’s financial future. This involves strategic planning and appropriate legal tools to ensure that assets are protected and effectively transferred to heirs.

For example, a certain trust can ensure that a child inherits property only after reaching a certain age or achieving specific milestones. This can prevent mismanagement and ensure that the assets are used as intended.

3. Collaboration and communication in Estate Planning

The Small Council, comprised of trusted advisors who help govern Westeros, exemplifies the importance of collaboration in estate planning. Involving trusted individuals in your estate planning can ensure your wishes are carried out effectively.

Appointing executors and trustees to manage and distribute your estate is critical. These individuals should be trustworthy, reliable, impartial, and capable of handling the responsibilities.

Their role is to execute your Will, manage any trusts, and ensure that the distribution of assets is carried out according to your specific instructions. This collaborative approach can provide a system of checks and balances, reducing the risk of mismanagement or disputes.

Open and transparent communication about your estate plan with family members can help manage expectations and prevent misunderstandings. Discussing your plans and the reasons behind your decisions can further clarify and reduce the potential for conflict.

4. Seeking expert advice for Estate Planning

The intricacies of Westerosi laws, customs, and politics often complicate succession and inheritance, leading to conflict and uncertainty.

Estate planning involves navigating a complex web of laws and regulations that vary significantly depending on your jurisdiction. Understanding these legal requirements is crucial to creating a valid and enforceable estate plan.

Professional advisers can offer valuable insights into your estate plan’s legal, financial, and tax implications. They can help you understand the various tools and strategies, ensuring your plan is comprehensive and effective. Their expertise can prevent costly mistakes and ensure your estate is managed and distributed according to your wishes, and reducing the risk of any potential challenges to your estate.

Additionally, understanding the tax implications of your estate plan can help you reduce tax liabilities for your heirs.

5. Adapting to changing circumstances

Westeros’s political and personal landscapes constantly change, with alliances forming and breaking and new heirs being born.

Similarly, in real life, significant life events such as marriages, births, deaths, and changes in financial status necessitate regular updates to your estate plan.

An outdated estate plan can lead to unintended consequences, such as assets being distributed to individuals you no longer wish to benefit or new family members inadvertently missing out.

Regularly reviewing and updating your estate plan ensures that it accurately reflects your current wishes and circumstances. This might involve revising your Will, updating beneficiaries on insurance policies and retirement accounts, and adjusting trusts to align with your evolving goals.

Keeping your estate plan current helps prevent legal challenges. It provides clarity and certainty for your heirs, reducing the likelihood of disputes and ensuring a smoother estate transition.

Final Thoughts

The Game of Thrones offers rich and compelling lessons on the importance of careful and strategic estate planning. From the chaos of unclear succession and the necessity of protecting valuable assets to the benefits of collaboration and the wisdom of seeking expert advice.

By taking these lessons to heart and implementing them in your estate planning, you can avoid the pitfalls that plagued the Targaryens. You can create a clear, effective plan that reflects your wishes and provides for your loved ones, to help ensure your legacy is protected and your family’s future is secure.

The information contained in this article is general information only. It is not intended to be a recommendation, offer, advice or invitation to purchase, sell or otherwise deal in securities or other investments. Before making any decision in respect to a financial product, you should seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional.  We believe that the information contained in this document is accurate. However, we are not specifically licensed to provide tax or legal advice and any information that may relate to you should be confirmed with your tax or legal adviser.
1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/truetamplin/2024/06/16/5-estate-planning-lessons-from-house-of-the-dragon/