Substance Abuse Issues in Estate Planning

ESTATE PLANNING ESSENTIALS

By Justin J. Wall, Esq.

Trusts & Estates Attorney

Utah and Arizona

Estate planning is always important, but when a loved one struggles with addiction, it becomes even more critical—and more complicated. Planning your estate isn’t just about deciding who gets what. It’s about protecting your family, supporting those who need it most, and making sure your legacy is managed with care. If someone you love is battling substance abuse, you can still include them in your plan in thoughtful, protective ways that prioritize both their well-being and the integrity of your estate.

This post is for families who don’t want to disinherit a child struggling with substance abuse, but also can’t bring themselves to leave that child an unrestricted inheritance. You want to do what’s right—for your family, your legacy, and your child—and we’re here to help you think through how to make that happen.

What Makes This Kind of Planning Unique?

Planning for a loved one with addiction brings a set of deeply personal and legally complex challenges. You may have experienced years of heartbreak, false hope, and worry. Maybe you've helped them financially only to see the support misused.

Maybe you’ve had to set firm boundaries. Perhaps you're still holding out hope, but fear that an outright inheritance would do more harm than good. You're not alone.

When addiction is part of the picture, a well-crafted estate plan must address at least three essential areas:

Distribution Strategy

Outright distributions—where a beneficiary simply receives their inheritance in a lump sum—are usually a non-starter in cases involving substance abuse. A sudden windfall can be not only wasted but actively harmful, enabling further addiction or attracting people who may exploit your loved one. On the other hand, disinheritance can feel like giving up. It often sends a painful message of rejection and finality, cutting off a potential lifeline and leaving other family members to wrestle with guilt or resentment.

That’s why thoughtful distribution planning is one of the most critical components of an estate plan involving a loved one with addiction. You don’t have to choose between two extremes. Instead, you can create a middle path—one that allows for support without enabling, provides for real needs without risking self-destruction, and maintains your connection with your child in a way that’s safe, dignified, and intentional.

Later in this post, we’ll explore different ways to structure distributions—ranging from milestone-based payouts to income-only plans, discretionary arrangements, and protective trusts for future generations. The key is recognizing that the distribution pattern is not just a financial tool—it’s the framework that will shape how your legacy supports, guides, and protects your loved one over time.

Choosing the Right Decisionmakers

Many people instinctively think of naming the responsible sibling to manage the money or decide when their struggling brother or sister gets help. But this seemingly safe choice can create unintended consequences that ripple through the entire family dynamic.

When a sibling steps into the role of trustee or financial gatekeeper, they stop being just a brother or sister—they become the one who controls access to money, treatment support, or housing. Every request becomes a judgment call. Every “no” becomes personal. The child with addiction may come to see their sibling not as an ally, but as an obstacle. And the responsible sibling, no matter how loving or fair, may become resentful over time—especially if they’re also navigating their own emotions about the addiction, or feeling caught between duty and compassion.

This dynamic often erodes the sibling relationship, often leading to guilt, second-guessing, and conflict with other heirs who don’t fully understand the complexity of the trustee’s role. It can also make it harder for the family to stay emotionally connected during other times, hinge points in the addict's life, when having a close relationship with a trusted sibling may prove to be absolutely crucial.

For those reasons, in many cases, it is wiser to separate the emotional and financial roles. Naming a third-party trustee—whether a professional fiduciary, an attorney, or a corporate trustee—can reduce stress, preserve family harmony, and ensure your instructions are followed without bias or hesitation. These professionals have experience managing trusts, enforcing conditions, and making difficult decisions with empathy and consistency. They also provide an extra layer of legal protection, keeping things transparent and compliant.

Planning for Multiple Outcomes

Addiction isn’t static. Your child may one day reach recovery and stability. Or they may not. Your plan needs to reflect that uncertainty. Building in flexibility—different provisions for different circumstances—can help ensure your legacy responds to what’s actually happening when it matters, not just what you hope or fear today.

These are real, difficult issues. But a carefully structured estate plan can help you move forward with confidence, knowing you've done everything you can to protect your family and offer your child support in a way that’s thoughtful, loving, and safe.

Designing a Smarter Distribution Plan

When you're planning for a beneficiary with substance abuse challenges, it helps to think about distributions as a spectrum. On one end, you have outright distributions—an approach that might feel generous, fair, or hopeful. Parents often choose this path because they don’t want to single out or stigmatize one child, or because they’re clinging to the belief that an inheritance might inspire change. But for someone actively struggling with addiction, an outright distribution can be dangerous. It may be used in ways that feed the addiction, or it might disappear quickly, leaving the beneficiary worse off than before—and leaving the rest of the family with guilt, fear, or regret.

On the other end of the spectrum is complete disinheritance. This path can feel like the only safe option, especially if past experiences have involved stolen money, broken promises, or repeated relapses. Disinheritance may be chosen to protect the estate or other heirs, or simply to avoid enabling destructive behavior. But it also has emotional costs. It can feel final, unforgiving, and leave a legacy of pain or estrangement. And it doesn't leave room for recovery during your lifetime. For other siblings, it may raise questions about fairness or compassion. And for the addicted child, it may reinforce feelings of shame or isolation, making recovery even harder to achieve.

This is the heart of the paradox: giving them the same share as everyone else isn't an option; but neither is leaving them out. That’s why many families choose something in between—a carefully structured plan that offers support without enabling, protection without punishment, and flexibility to adjust as circumstances change.

That’s where creative trust design comes in. By choosing the right distribution method, you can strike a balance between providing meaningful support and protecting your loved one from the risks that come with unrestricted access to funds. Here are a few examples of how that might look in practice:

Annual Percentage Distributions: The trust might distribute a set percentage—say 3% to 5%—of the total trust value each year. This creates a steady stream of support without delivering a large lump sum all at once. For example, if the trust is worth $500,000, the beneficiary might receive $25,000 annually, distributed monthly. This approach can provide stability while avoiding the dangers of a one-time payout.

Purpose-Based Distributions: Funds can be used only for specific, clearly defined purposes, such as paying for rehab, covering rent in a sober living facility, attending school, or getting medical or mental health care. For instance, the trust might pay tuition directly to an educational institution or reimburse the beneficiary for out-of-pocket medical expenses—while denying requests for cash withdrawals or lifestyle purchases.

Need-Based Distributions: The trustee is empowered to evaluate requests and release funds only when a legitimate financial need exists. This often includes requiring supporting documentation, such as an invoice, lease agreement, or treatment plan. For example, if the beneficiary loses a job but is actively seeking employment, the trustee might cover essential expenses like groceries or utility bills during the transition, but withhold discretionary spending until more stability is achieved.

These strategies are just a few examples of what we have done for clients. Creative tools like this one give you more control over how the money is used and help minimize the risk of the inheritance being misused or quickly lost.

Building in Flexibility with Contingency Planning

Distribution strategies help establish structure and control, but even the best-designed plan can fall short if it’s too rigid. Addiction is not a straight path—it involves progress, setbacks, and everything in between. That’s why your estate plan shouldn’t lock you into a single approach. Instead, it should leave room for adjustment, so your trust can respond to your child’s real-life circumstances, not just the ones you imagined when the documents were signed.

This is where building in flexibility through contingency planning becomes critical. You can build multiple potential pathways into the trust depending on your child’s condition at the time of your death or at key points in the future.

Examples might include:

• If your child has been sober for five years, the trustee can begin releasing larger distributions.

• The trust may allow 10% of the principal to be distributed for every year the beneficiary passes a random drug screening.

• Income might be distributed monthly, but principal remains in trust for the beneficiary’s children if the beneficiary continues to struggle.

• A treatment milestone, like completing rehab, could trigger one-time distributions or expanded access to funds.

  
  

You can also grant your trustee discretion to adjust the plan based on what’s happening in real time. Some trusts empower the trustee to determine which of several contingencies applies, or to consult with a third party (like a case manager, therapist, or family council) to guide their decisions.

Keeping the Plan Current

A trust is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Especially when addiction is involved, your plan should be reviewed regularly to reflect your child’s evolving situation.

Major life changes—such as a relapse, a major recovery milestone, or a change in family dynamics—may warrant an update to your plan. Your estate planning attorney can help you make adjustments while keeping your core goals intact.

You can also include provisions in your plan that require your trustee or another designated party to review the trust at regular intervals.

Planning for a loved one with addiction is emotional and often painful. But it can also be an act of profound care. You don’t have to choose between doing nothing and doing harm. With the right tools, you can create a legacy of support, boundaries, and hope.

The estate plan you build can reflect your love—not just in words, but in thoughtful actions that protect your child and your family for years to come.

Ready to Talk?

If you’re working on an estate plan that involves substance abuse concerns, we’re here to help. Schedule a consultation today and let’s talk through your options. Together, we can create a plan that protects your family and honors your wishes.