Letting Go of the Dead HandLetting Go of the Dead Hand

Taylor, the only child of her entrepreneurial parents, was 23 when she first found out about the trust created for her benefit. Taylor knew her parents loved her, but she jokingly commented that her parents’ gold-mine of a business was like a sibling to her—maybe the favored sibling. Taylor’s parents didn’t come from wealthy families themselves and, while they loved the idea that they could “give their daughter the world,” they were more worried about the potential negative impact their wealth could have on her life. Although Taylor was aware of, and had the legal right to information about, the trust that was created for her benefit, her parents avoided engaging in conversations that would help her learn about this resource or their int...