I’d like to share a story with you to highlight the importance of estate planning. It is something we all generally know we need to do, but more often than not, we tend to delay this activity.
Many of us have heard or said the phrase, “I’ll do it later”, when it comes to important decisions like estate planning. We tell ourselves, inshallah after Raya, or maybe after the holidays. But sometimes, people only realised it was too late to plan for their legacy, leaving their loved ones facing uncertainty.
Estate planning often feels like a task for the distant future, something we can delay because it’s uncomfortable or because life gets busy. Yet, delaying can come with heavy consequences.
As someone who guides others through the process of preparing their wills, wasiat, and other legacy documents, I’ve come to learn one painful truth: our delay is often the enemy of peace for your loved ones.
The story that I am about to share has left a mark on me. It’s not just about a missed document. It’s about what happens when the chance to plan is lost, not by accident, but by hesitation.
It is never my intent to scare. It’s meant to awaken. Because if you’ve ever thought, “I’ll do it later,” you need to read this.
The Unexpected Call
It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon. I was at my desk, catching up on work when my phone rang. I saw the caller ID, an unfamiliar number, but I picked it up anyway.
On the other end of the line was a young woman. Her voice trembled slightly. “Auntie,” she asked, “do you have my dad’s document?”
I paused and replied. “What document?”
She replied, “Dad said he did a wasiat with you.”
My heart sank.
I asked for her father’s name, and when she confirmed it, my memory returned instantly. I had met him about six months earlier. We had discussed his wishes, his legacy, and how he wanted things to be handled for his family. I had even prepared a draft of his wasiat and sent it to him for review. But when I tried to follow up after that… there was silence.
He never answered my calls. My messages went unanswered. I assumed he needed time. I didn’t want to push.
Then she said the words I wasn’t ready to hear.
“Auntie… my dad passed away. Two days ago.”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. The sadness in her voice, the finality of it all. It was overwhelming.
I sat there, numb for a moment, hearing the weight of what had been lost, not just a father, but also a plan. A sense of order. A legacy that now hung in limbo.
The Missed Opportunity
After the call, I went through my records to confirm everything. Yes, I had met her father. Yes, we had a meaningful discussion about his intentions. And yes, the draft of his wasiat had been shared with him.
But the follow-up never happened.
I had sent reminders. I had called. But when there was no response, I hesitated to press further. I told myself he probably needed more time. I thought I was respecting his space.
Now I wondered, did I make the right decision? Should I have followed up more firmly? Should I have insisted on a timeline? The what-ifs flooded in.
In this line of work, the truth is harsh. A plan that isn’t signed, finalised, and witnessed is no plan at all.
Without the completed wasiat, his daughter was left to face uncertainty during a time of grief. Instead of comfort, she had to deal with questions, complications, and missing documents.
The desire to have peace of mind for him and his loved ones left behind is lost.
At that point, it was a moment of reckoning for me as a planner. I began to ask myself: Where is the line between patience and procrastination? Between giving space and taking responsibility to push my clients to take action fully?
Sometimes, doing our job well means having to engage in difficult conversations early, before it becomes too late.
The Emotional Weight of the Work
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I’m not joking.
The conversation with his daughter replayed in my mind. Her sadness. Her confusion. The lost opportunity. I kept thinking: Did I fail him? Did I fail his family?
As an estate planner, it’s easy to think of our work as technical — documents, signatures, legal terms. But the truth is, it’s deeply personal. When someone comes to us to plan, they are trusting us with their legacy, their family’s future. It’s not just a service, it’s a responsibility.
And when a plan doesn’t get completed in time, that weight sits heavy on our hearts.
I found myself caught between two emotions. One part of me felt I did what I could. After all, he had the draft, he knew the next steps.
But another part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that I could have done more. Followed up again. Set firmer expectations. Called one last time.
This experience changed how I see my role. When clients look for me, I see it as a sacred duty to help them become accountable to themselves, even when it feels uncomfortable. Because when it comes to legacy planning, having discomfort now is better than regret later.
I now approach every case with renewed purpose. If someone says, after Raya or after holiday, I will gently remind them: we never know how much time we have.
A Lesson for All of Us
I sincerely hope my sharing above serves as a wake-up call and a lesson for everyone.
We all procrastinate on the hard things. Estate planning, writing a will, or doing a wasiat are topics that make us uncomfortable. It forces us to face our own mortality, and no one enjoys doing that.
But avoiding the discomfort doesn’t protect us. It only passes the burden onto our loved ones.
Had my client completed his wasiat, his daughter would have had clear instructions. She would have known what her father wanted. Instead, she was left to piece things together during the most painful moment of her life.
Planning ahead is therefore an act of love. It gives clarity, protection, and peace of mind to those we care about most. It ensures that your wishes are respected and carried out exactly as you intend. It removes unnecessary conflict and confusion.
So if you’ve been putting off your estate planning, thinking, “I’ll do it after this project… after this event… after Raya…”, pause.
And ask yourself: If not now, when?
Start with a conversation. Reach out to a planner to enquire about writing your will or wasiat. Get your intentions written down. Don’t wait for the “perfect time.” Because life rarely gives us warnings, and the best time to plan is before you think you need it.
Do It While You Still Can
Life moves fast, and none of us knows what tomorrow holds. The story I’ve shared is a reminder that the “later” we so often rely on can suddenly become “too late.”
Estate planning is more than paperwork. It’s a gift to your family and yourself. It’s peace in uncertainty, clarity in chaos, and love expressed in preparation.
If you’ve been delaying, don’t wait any longer. Reach out to someone who can help you put your plans in place. Start the conversation today, not after the next holiday or event.
Because when the time comes, and it always will, you want to know you did everything possible to protect those you care about.
Make your plan now, while you still can. It’s the best way to take care of your future and the people who depend on you.
Planning is not about fearing the end, but about honouring the journey.