Money talks between parents and adult children often happen after a hospital stay or a sudden bill. Starting earlier feels awkward, but it leaves room for choice rather than emergency decisions.
Agree the scope before you sit down. Are you discussing whether parents can help with a house deposit? Who will hold lasting power of attorney paperwork? Whether adult children expect any inheritance, or simply want clarity that none is planned?
Share documents, not just opinions. A one-page list of bank accounts, pension schemes, insurance policies, and solicitor contacts reduces guesswork later. You do not need to disclose every balance on the first conversation.
If emotions run high, a facilitated Family Money Conversation gives each person agenda time and a written note of what was actually agreed—useful when memories diverge a week later.
Avoid treating the meeting as a negotiation over wills. That belongs with a solicitor. Our role is to keep the money logistics clear so legal advice can be precise when you seek it.