Episode 16

Host: Jill Mastroianni

Guest: Sara Ecklein

How to Prevent your Estate Plan from Becoming a Family Battlefield

What happens when no one agrees on who should manage a loved one’s care—or their money? Jill talks with Sara Ecklein, a professional fiduciary in California, to talk about what goes wrong when we don’t plan ahead. From costly legal fights to irreparable family breakdowns, they unpack how a neutral third party can step in before conflict becomes a catastrophe.

They also explore what it means to be a mindful fiduciary, how family dynamics get complicated when siblings are put in charge, and why planning isn’t just about documents; it’s about legacy.

What Jill and Sara discuss:

  • What a professional fiduciary actually does (and why it’s more than just “cutting checks”)

  • The roles of trustee and agent under a power of attorney, and how they differ

  • What it means to be a mindful fiduciary (and how presence, empathy, and neutrality can positively impact a family’s experience)

  • The emotional and financial cost of family conflict when no one plans for death or incapacity

  • A real-life Michigan guardianship case and what it reveals about court involvement and family discord

  • Why naming a sibling as trustee can lead to fractured relationships

  • How a trust protector can act as a “watchdog” without being involved in the day-to-day management of a trust

  • The difference between a “successful” estate plan on paper vs. in real life

  • Planning ahead for your own death, even if you're a professional fiduciary like Sara Ecklein

  • The power of legacy, and why estate planning is about how you live, not just what you leave behind

Resources & Links

Learn more about Sara Ecklein:

Connect with Jill:

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Episode 15: How Our Favorite Movies Trained Us to Accept Less